


Star Nerds

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Angst, Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), Langst, M/M, Mutual Pining, No Smut, Pansexual Shiro, Pining, Some Fluff, Some angst, Star Wars AU, a little bit of shiro/matt, don't worry it'll make sense, some shallura moments as well
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-10-23 02:20:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10710153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After each of the five get stuck together and find the two last jedi in the whole galaxy, they must learn how to use the force and defeat the Galra Empire.If you don't know a lot about Star Wars, 98% of this will still make sense. The characters have no clue what the hell is going on, so some stuff is explained throughout. The other 2% are easter egg type things in which most are not important to the plot.





	1. Ad Astra

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction ever, so I have no clue what I'm doing. This is a Star Wars AU, in case you didn't read the tags.  
> Also, I changed a couple of things up. For example, Scarif is not just a base for the Galactic (or Galra in this case) Empire, but also a home to a few.  
> I also made Mustafar somewhat more habitable.  
> Also, it's not joking when it says major character death. This story will have characters dying...just be warned and don't get too attracted to anyone (I'M SORRY IN ADVANCE)  
> Lastly, I changed the appearance of Lance's family slightly.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance, a small boy from the beaches of Scarif, is on the run from the Galra Empire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so this is the first chapter!  
> OK so some chapters are more certain character-centric than others, but I'm trying to work out a balance between them.  
> Lastly, this chapter does not have any graphic violence in it. In future chapters, I will warn of it in the notes at the beginning.

"Lance, mijo, wake up."

Lance opened his eyes to see a woman standing before him. Her graying brown hair was pulled into a loose bun, with a few strands escaping to frame her face. Her skin was dark and wrinkled, but there was still youth behind the weathered skin. She stood with her hands on her hips, waiting for the teenager to awake from his slumber. 

"Madre, por favor, give me five more minutes," he replied, shifting to roll over in the bed.

"Mijo, you asked for that five minutes ago. It's time to get up."

Lance groaned and sat up, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. He blinked a few times before grumbling again. His bedroom was small and cramped, with small figurines of banthas, tauntauns, and other creatures covering every available surface. Small models of X-wings, Star Destroyers, and TIE Fighters were scattered in the empty spaces around the creatures. He had owned these for as long as he could remember, and he could not bear to get rid of them despite that he rarely played with them anymore. He was planning on giving some of them to his siblings on Empire Day, but now he was unsure if he could give them away that easily. 

His mother turned around and left the room, the door remaining open behind her. He sighed and rolled out of bed, his feet hitting the cold floor. He wriggled his toes on the floor to get the circulation going in that area of his body. 

He quickly pulled on some clothing and exited the room into the dining room. As soon as he stepped inside, his mother handed him a glass of blue Bantha milk and patted him on the back, "Mijo, there are some troopers here to see us today."

Lance took a sip of the milk before sitting at the table. He set the glass in front of him on the table, "Where's everyone else?"

"Getting tested," his mother replied from the kitchen. She was furiously scrubbing the plates to relieve them of any grime they may have collected on them. "Required by the Empire because we live here. It shouldn't take long. Just a quick blood test is all." She set the plate down, shaking slightly. Seeing his mother's trembling, Lance bounded to the kitchen.

"Are you alright?" he asked, knitting his eyebrows together.

She sighed and wiped the sweat beading on her forehead. She grabbed Lance's arm and pulled him closer, "If they ask you to come with them, run. Just run. There's a ship parked out back. Take it and don't look back." She let go of Lance's arm before stepping back to her dishes before replying with, "I'm fine, don't worry."

Lance shuddered and blinked.  _What the quiznak?_ He thought to himself.

The door to the house opened and a trooper stepped in. His white armor glint in the artificial light hanging from the ceiling. The helmet they wore bore no emotion, but it was unnerving to look into the cold, black eyes.

"Step outside," they ordered.

Lance stepped outside and blinked away the black spots from the glaring sun. The beach stretched along the water for as long as the eye could see. The water was shallow, so much so you could see the bottom. Palm trees gently swayed in the breeze. Interrupting his view was a makeshift tent pitched, flaps waving in the zephyr. The tent was white and black, with the Empire's symbol branded on each side. 

"Go inside."

Lance obliged without saying a word. He raised the cloth entrance up and walked inside. It was cramped inside, similarly to his room, but rather than the blue painted walls and the galaxy ceiling, it was a white interior. Rather than the models scattered about, there was a chair and a few large computers. In one corner sat a droid, patiently waiting with a syringe.

"Sit down."

Lance sat down in the chair. The droid whirred to life, its two eyes lighting up.

"Hello, I am KL-63. Please, hold out your arm," the droid said.

Lance silently shifted his arm. The droid rolled over to him on a set of wheels, stopping just before running into him. The trooper waited silently, gun slung across their chest. Lance gulped.

The droid stabbed Lance with the needle, and it rapidly filled up with a red liquid. Once the syringe was full, the droid wheeled to the trooper and handed the blood over. The trooper wordlessly took the vial and stuck it into a waiting hole. The machine beeped a few times before spitting out a number.

 _21,139_.

"We got a high midi-chlorian concentration here on one of the boys at the McClain household," the trooper said, presumably to someone on the other end of the comm. "Understood." The trooper turned to Lance, "You'll have to come with me."

Lance froze. The words his mother told him echoed in his head. He quickly glanced around the room.  _Stormtroopers are bad shots, right?_ Lance thought,  _Let's test that out._

Lance lunged for the machine and knocked it over, causing the trooper to fall to the ground. He bolted out of the tent, with the trooper yelling, "Stop!"

Lance continued to sprint. He had to make it to the back of the house. He had to. His feet kicked up the sand beneath him, and the waves crashed into his left foot. 

Just as his mother promised, a ship was waiting for him in the back. He hopped in and quickly shut the top. The trooper was running to him, their gun firing into the hull of the ship.

"Dammit, buckethead! Stop shooting!" Lance yelled, knowing that the trooper could not hear or care what he had to say.

Lance pulled the yoke back and he lifted off the ground. The palm trees bent around the ship. 

"Hell yeah!" Lance shouted. "See ya later, buckethead!"

He exited the atmosphere to see the blue planet below. He pressed his face to the window.

"Bye Mom, bye Dad. Bye Arten, Veran, Oret, Mako, and Xerda. I'll miss you."

Lance sighed and turned back to the view in front of him. He had always dreamed of going into space, but seeing it now, it was empty. A few white dots here and there, but that was it.

He pressed two buttons and pulled the yoke back. 

"Time to jump to hyperdrive."

* * *

 Two days had passed since Lance became a wanted fugitive. Rather than his smile, a cloth closed around where his mouth was supposed to be. His bright blue eyes searched through the crowded area for any threats. A group of troopers jogged in front of him, carrying their guns across their chest. He held is breath. They completely ignored him, continuing to where they needed to be. He exhaled.

He pushed through the crowd, unsure of where he was going. He knew full well at any moment his ship could be stolen, but Lance didn't care. He just needed to clear his head. Getting lost in this thoughts, he ran smack into someone.

They too had a cloth pulled over their face, but theirs was a deep shade of red, opposed to Lance's blue. Their purple eyes flared up with anger before they growled, "Watch it."

Lance crossed his arms, equally displeased, "Why don't you watch it?" he retorted.

"You were the one that ran into me!"

"Here's an option:shut your poodoo!"

"I don't think you're using that word correctly!" They spat. "I don't have time for this."

They moved past Lance, slamming into his shoulder as they past him. Lance spun around, "Oh no you don't."

They began to disappear into the crowd, but Lance continued to see the mysterious figure. He trailed them, not wanting to lose sight of them. They darted through the crowd, eager to get to their goal. Lance followed not far behind.

They quickly glanced behind them before ducking into an alleyway. Lance walked in after them. Once in the alleyway, the person stopped. They wore a red jacket, and hanging from his belt was a metal tube. Lance froze. They spun around and pushed Lance to the wall, their arm over his neck, "Listen here. I don't know why you're following me, but you better back off."

 Lance swallowed, "Whoa, I was just-"

They placed a hand over Lance's mouth, "Quiet," they ordered. A group of troopers ran past, unknowing to what was happening. They let go of Lance and stepped back. They began to sprint down the alley. Lance followed.

"I told you to stop following me," they hissed.

Lance narrowed his eyes, "I do what I want."

They shook their head, knowing that nothing could deteriorate Lance, "You a Galra spy?"

Lance blinked, "What?"

"You heard me."

He shook his head, "No! Of course not! Why the hell would you ask that?"

They glanced at him, "Well, you don't look like one, that's for sure. And you probably would have tried to kill me at this point. Just force of habit."

"Force of habit! What do you mean force of habit?"

They ignored him and reached the other side of the alley. There, a group of people in handcuffs were slowly being moved along by troopers. They shuffled as the troopers talked to each other, "This batch is heading to the labor camp, I think."

"Good," one replied, shoving one of the people forward.

Lance watched as the person next to him jumped out.

"You there! What are you doing here?"

If Lance had been able to see under the cloth around the stranger's face, it would have worn a smile. They kicked the trooper across the chest and they stumbled back, running into one of their fellow soldiers. The stranger grabbed a blaster from the confused troopers and in one swift movement shot them both. The other two, realizing what was going on, readied their blasters. Lance jumped out and grabbed the other blaster laying on the ground. He ran up to the prisoners and shot off all of their cuffs. They began to sprint away from the scene. One stayed behind, waiting and glancing at the two people standing. Lance shot both of the other troopers, and they feel to the ground with a  _klunk._

The stranger ran up to the prisoner, "Come with me," he ordered. 

The prisoner nodded and followed the stranger. The stranger began sprinting once again.

"Hold up!" Lance yelled. The stranger payed him no attention. "Who are you?"

"Does it matter? Who the hell are you?"

"The name's Lance, and I'd appreciate you telling me yours!"

The stranger sighed while running, "Keith. Now stop following me!"

"Nu-uh. I helped free those prisoners as much as you did! I'm coming with you!"

Keith rolled his eyes, but did not reply. The prisoner kept good pace with them.

Keith's purple eyes scanned the area. They lit up when he found what he wanted, "Jump in!" he yelled as he pointed to a ship sitting in front of them. Keith slid over the hull and hopped inside. He grabbed the prisoner and hoisted them inside, but left Lance on the ground. Lance jumped inside.

"What the hell?" someone yelled. "Who the hell are you?"

A small person emerged from a compartment underneath, clutching a wrench, "How the hell did you get in here?"

Lance sprinted to the cockpit and sat down. He pulled the stick and the wood keeping the ship up fell to the ground.

"Pidge!" someone else yelled. "We aren't ready to fly yet!"

Pidge ignored the other person and ran to the cockpit after Lance.

"Stop!" she yelled.

The ship began to shudder as it exited the atmosphere.

Pidge grabbed onto Lance's hair and attempted to fling him out of the chair. Lance laughed.

Pidge crossed her arms, "Hunk, you better get to the cockpit!"

A big, burly person appeared almost as soon as he had been called for, "Wha-OH MY GOD WHO IS THAT?"

He clutched the side of the ship, seemingly trying to hold something in, "Oh geez, this guy's piloting is making me feel sick."

"Keep it together, Hunk!" Pidge ordered.

"I'm trying Pidge, I really am!"

Lance accelerated, and the two were flung back. His smirk lasted for a fleeting moment before he saw who was following them.

"TIE Fighters! Are you serious? Who the hell are you people?" Pidge questioned.

Lance pressed two buttons.

"Oh, no no no no," Hunk said. "Do not try to make that jump to hyperspace!"

Lance pulled the stick back. The stars began to melt past them, turning into mere streaks across darkness. After a few minutes, the ship shifted back to normal.

"Where are we?" Pidge asked.

Lance glanced around to the expanse around them, "I have no idea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'll try to post weekly <3  
> Also, if you don't know, having a midi-chlorian count of 21,000 is very high. If you don't know what a midi-chlorian is, it'll be explained in later chapters.


	2. The Lost Jedi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The five land on a planet and decide to investigate it. On it, they find two odd people frozen in carbonite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the title is a play on The Last Jedi :)

"You really messed up."

Lance ran his fingers through his hair. The blue cloth was still wrapped around his mouth, muffling his next words, "I know, I know."

"Can you take off the mask thing please?" Pidge asked. "We can barely hear you."

Lance removed the cloth from his face and Keith had to stifle a gasp. Although Lance had been a thorn in his side from when he first met him, he  _could_ admit he was somewhat attractive. His smirk lit up his ocean blue eyes.  _He is_ not  _attractive_ Keith thought,  _No way_.  _Well.._

"So, who exactly are you guys?" Hunk asked, nervously glancing at the three newcomers. "And why did you have TIE Fighters going after you?"

The ship lurched forward and everyone staggered with it. 

"Lance!" Keith yelled.

"Sorry, but don't blame me! Something is seriously wrong with this ship!"

Pidge crossed her arms, "That's why we were  _trying_ to fix it, buckethead. It was going fine until your lot showed up here and  _stole_ our ship."

The prisoner lay on the ground, exhausted from running. His eyes were shut, but his breathing was heavy enough to signal he was not sleeping. A small scar lined the bridge of his nose, and his hair had a white tuft falling over his face. One arm was not human, and it was clearly metal. The metallic limb was a clear sign of the Empire.

"What happened to your arm?" Keith questioned the prisoner.

The prisoner opened one eye before closing it again, "The Empire."

Keith nodded, not wanting to press the stranger further. Meanwhile, Pidge and Lance were in a heated argument, "Our ship's serial number is probably being tracked now! Do you realize how much a pain in the ass that'll be when we're trying to get to our clients?" Pidge angrily shouted. "How the hell are we supposed to get these buzz droids to them now?"

"Wait, you sell buzz droids? Are you guys smugglers?"

Pidge shrugged, "Been doin' it for years. Now, go to that planet below us  _right_ now or I will shoot you with my blaster faster than Han shot Greedo."

"Who the hell is Han?" Keith questioned, jumping into the argument.

"Old friend of ours. Fellow smuggler. Now, land the quiznaking ship right now."

Lance raised his hands up, "Okay, okay!"

"And keep your damn hands on the stick!"

Lance moved his hands back into position, "There. You happy?"

"Not really, no. Hunk and I will have to ditch this ship, somehow miraculously pick up a new one, and let all of our clients know about the new ship and delays, all while under the radar of the Empire. I don't think I can be  _happy_ right now!"

"Pidge, calm down," Hunk quavered. 

"Dammit Hunk, I can't be calm! Do you realize what all of this means for us?" Pidge retorted.

Hunk stepped back and shut his mouth, not wanting to be told off by Pidge again. The prisoner on the ground groaned. Pidge looked down, arms still crossed. Her nose scrunched up for a brief moment before returning back to its normal position, "Shiro?"

The prisoner's eyes snapped open and looked at the girl. His eyes were vacant before turning to realization, "Katie?"

She stretched out her arm and hoisted him up, "It's Pidge now. Holy shit, Shiro! You're alive! Where's Matt and my father? Were they with you?"

Shiro's face fell, "I don't know. We got separated about a year ago. I haven't seen them since."

Pidge's face was no longer one of anger and crossed arms, but rather of warmth and worry. She sighed, "I guess it was too much to hope for," she looked into the starry sky. "They could be anywhere."

Shiro place a hand on her shoulder. It was clearly a brotherly touch, something to support the poor girl. When Pidge's face turned from her steely face to her soft one, it was clear she was younger than all of them. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. Keith had only seen glasses in pictures before, as they became obsolete years ago. Her hair was short, and each end curved outwards. Her amber eyes glinted with water, but not enough to spill out. Lance, for some reason, had small tears welling up in his eyes. He pressed the stick downwards, and the ship curved toward the planet. It was mostly blue with a few gray and green splotches lining the planet.

"Looks a bit like home," Lance commented.

"Not for me, it doesn't," Keith replied.

"Yeah, same here," Pidge agreed.

"It looks nothing like home," Hunk said. "The opposite, really."

Shiro simply stared at the blue globe underneath him, silent. 

The ship quivered when Lance hit the atmosphere. The planet the below was mostly dark ocean, with a few rock islands emerging from the mist. In the center of the islands a large isle arose from the water. It was far bigger than any of the others, and seemed like the logical spot to land a ship, but someone had beat them to it. Perched on the rock was a large silver ship, gleaming in the sunlight. A few scrapes lined the ship, but otherwise it appeared to be in perfect condition. Length wise, it looked to be roughly the same size as a Star Destroyer, however, it appeared to be much taller than one. Lance moved their ship towards the large silver one, landing on the island in the shadow of the large one. The ship came to a shuddering stop, and Pidge pointed to Lance and Keith, "You two, out."

"What?" Keith asked.

"I said, out. I'm sure you can send a distress beacon or something to be picked up."

"Pidge-" Hunk started.

"Hunk," Pidge interrupted. "These people got us into a mess that we may not be able to clean up. They need to get out."

"Pidge, these people granted me my freedom. Without them, I would be in a labor camp for the rest of my days. Give them another chance," Shiro said.

Lance pouted out his bottom lip and made his eyes really big, "Pweeeaaassee?"

Pidge threw her hands up in exasperation, "Fine! However, first, we have to check out that ship. They could have some loot we could sell."

Lance stood up and stretched his hands out in front of him, cracking his knuckles, "Sounds good." Keith turned away, his face turning slightly pink. He made a valiant attempt to not look at Lance, but it was in vain. 

"Hey, Mullet," Lance smiled, smirking at his nickname. "Take off your cloth."

"Uh."

Lance pointed to his own mouth, "Around your mouth? You don't have to hide your face anymore."

"Oh." Keith pulled the cloth down and it rested around his neck. Lance chocked for a second before returning to his cool.

Pidge rolled her eyes, "Let's go."

Pidge turned around and strolled to the entrance of the ship. Lance shouted, "Wait! Why were you rolling your eyes?"

Pidge didn't answer, and Lance sprinted after her, still shouting. Hunk lumbered after them, setting down a tool as he went. His eyebrows were knit together, and he wiped away sweat onto his yellow shirt.

Keith began to follow them, but Shiro spoke, "Wait."

Keith turned around, "Yeah?"

Shiro rubbed his head, as if to relieve pain. His eyes were scrunched, and his mouth was grimacing, "I feel like I've seen you somewhere. Have we met before?"

Keith froze, unable to move. His heart rate dramatically increased, and sweat began to bead on his forehead. The cold metal slung on his belt pressed to his side uncomfortably. Shiro's questioning gaze pinned him in place.

"I don't think so, no," Keith lied. 

Shiro nodded, "Must just be my muddled memories."

Keith spun around and followed the others out of the ship. He blinked back the star light as it hit him, nearly blinding him. Lance was full of energy, bounding through the grass and rocks, inspecting every little thing he found. Pidge was doing the same, following him wherever he went. She grinned, despite hating him a few minutes ago. Hunk ran after them, giggling every once in a while.

 Shiro stepped out behind him, feet planting on the grass. He stumbled briefly before straightening, acting like nothing happened. Keith stared at the man, wondering how long it would take for Shiro's memory to return.

Keith trudged up the hill to the waiting silver object, stopping before the entrance. Lance looked up to Keith and sprinted up after him, with Pidge chasing him and Hunk wheezing behind them. Keith gave a small smile.

Lance was panting next to Keith, and he pointed to the metal hanging from his belt, "Hey Mullet, what's that?"

Keith quickly put the tube inside of his jacket, hiding it from the others, "It's nothing," he glanced to Pidge and Hunk, who were no longer running but walking at a leisurely pace up the hill. "And if you tell them about it, I'll kill you," he hissed.

Lance raised his hands up, "Whoa, no need to give death threats. Come on, let's go inside." Lance stepped inside, and Keith accompanied him. It was dark inside, with no artificial light source inside. Their footsteps echoed through the vaulted ceilings, the sound amplifying with each step. 

"Hello?" Lance called out. His voice reverberated back. He smirked and shouted, "Echo!" 

"Shh!" Keith hissed. "We don't know if anyone is even still on here!"

"Aw, come on Keith. This thing has clearly been abandoned for years."

After traveling along the hallway, they reached two large doors. They were silver, with blue swirls traveling along it. Lance reached out and touched the door. With his touch, the hallway was bathed in light from the door and the swirls that covered the walls. The blue swirls lit up simultaneously, washing Lance's face in blue. He blinked, his hair being blown back by an invisible wind. The ship rumbled as the doors opened, allowing them to enter a second room.  It was circular, with a large symbol in the center. It was round like the rest of the room, with two wing-like objects surrounding a saber.

 

"Holy shit," Keith gasped.

"Yeah," Lance replied, in awe.

"No, holy shit! Do you know what that symbol is?"

Lance shook his head, "No? Is it something I'm supposed to know? It looks like an old trade federation symbol to me."

"No! It's the-"

"Wait, Keith, hold up." Lance had entered the room, sweeping the area with his gaze. "Do you see this? These statues look like real people!"

Keith scanned to where Lance was looking. Two people were appeared to be carved in stone, their arms outstretched. Their eyes were shut, and their mouths slightly opened. "Lance, those aren't statues."

Lance was already inspecting them, unaware of Keith, "I mean, the detail on here is amazing! It's as if someone is actually trapped on there!" Lance stretched out his hand. "I wonder what this button does..."

"Lance, don't!"

It was too late. Lance had pressed the button. The two figures began to glow bright red like a star and emitted enough light to blind someone. Lance raised his arms over his eyes, trying to shield them from the glow. The stone began to dissipate around the two people, and flesh appeared from underneath. The stone had completely disappeared. Two people were in the carbonite. One was a woman with silver hair, and other a man with a bright orange mustache. They both fell to the ground on their face, groaning. Lance rushed over to the woman, helping her up, "Why hello there," he said, cocking an eyebrow. Keith grumbled.

"Coran?" she asked, "Coran? I can't see anything. Is that you?"

"I'm over here, Princess. I can't see either."

Keith ran over to the man and hoisted him up, "The hibernation sickness will hopefully wear off soon," Keith explained.

"Who are you?" the princess asked. "How have you found us?"

Lance flourished his hand, despite the princess being unable to see anything, "I am Lance, and I am at your service, Princess. I can give you  _anything_ you need."

Keith groaned once again, "Lance, will you stop?"

"Jealous, Mullet?"

"No!"

Pidge, Hunk, and Shiro came bursting into the room. "Are-are you guys all right? We heard the rumbling outside and-" Hunk panted. He held up one finger to signal for them to wait.

"We're fine, Hunk," Keith dryly answered. 

Keith and Lance explained to the others what had happened while Coran and the princess rested on the floor, still having some trouble forming complete thoughts. Pidge complained about not being able to steal any cool tech because the ship was inhabited, and Lance continued to flirt with the woman. It had been two hours before anything else interesting happened. 

The princess blinked, seemingly able to see again. She hastily stood up and ran over to the man on the ground, helping him up, "Coran, can you see now?"

"Yes, Allura, I can see now," he rubbed the back of his neck. "How long has it been?"

She pointed to Lance, "You there, what year is it?"

"Uh, 320 ABY, I think."

"ABY? What's ABY?"

"After the Battle of Yavin? Standard time keep?" Lance answered.

Allura brought her hand to her head, "Coran, how is this possible? What even is the Battle of Yavin? Have we been asleep that long?"

Allura fell to the ground, her eyes filled with worry. She sunk her head into her lap. Coran sunk to the ground next to her, "How did you get in here?" he questioned.

"I just placed my hand on that door, and it kinda just opened," Lance explained.

Allura's head snapped up, " _You_ opened the door?"

Lance shrugged, "Yeah, so?"

"But only someone highly concentrated with midi-chlorians can do that."

Keith's blood ran ice cold. He knew what was coming next, what the two strangers would ask. The metal tube hugged his side, reminding him what he had done. Keith's breath quickened along with his heart rate. If he was found out, Coran and Allura would kill him in an instant.

"What the hell are these midi-chlorians everyone is talking about?" Lance asked.

"All of you, follow me. We must explain everything."

 They all entered an area with a large table, surrounded by twelve chairs on each side. Allura sat at the head of the table, and Coran sat to the right of her. Shiro opted to sit to the left, and everyone filled in the chairs next to them.

Allura pressed a button on a table, and a bundle of needles emerged, along with three holes that opened up. Pidge picked up one of the needles inspecting it, "This doesn't seem very sanitary. We know these are at least 320 years old. I don't think this is a good idea."

"I'll have to second Pidge on that," Hunk said. 

Allura shrugged, "Very well." She pulled out a knife. "Who wants to go first?"

"Are you out of your damn mind?" Keith asked. "There is no way in hell we are cutting ourselves with a knife!"

Allura stood up and strolled to Keith. She swiveled his chair around and bent down in front of him. In a split second, he felt pain rushing to his nose as red liquid poured out of it. He clutched it, cursing from the pain. Allura had punched Keith in the nose. She held out a small shard of glass as the blood fell on it, collecting into small pools. When she was satisfied with the amount, she took the glass and stuck it in one of the three holes.

"Princess, I don't think that was the best idea! That completely disrespects the code!" Coran exclaimed.

Allura waved it off, "It's fine. We need samples. Besides, who's going to punish us?" Her eyes softened for a second before returning to their steely gaze. Allura shifted, "Who's next?"

 

* * *

Everyone's blood had been collected, and they sat impatiently as the machine analyzed the blood. Pidge rapped her fingers on the table, creating different melodies with the tapping. Every once in a while, she would adjust her glasses. Hunk was fiddling with a small trinket in his large hands. Shiro vacantly stared, every once in a while jolting out of his thoughts and jumping slightly. Lance continued to flirt with the princess.

"Girl, you're hotter than the inside of a tauntaun."

Allura rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, clearly uninterested, "How flattering. I just _love_ being compared to the innards of a lizard."

Lance grinned, clearly not phased, "You-"

"Princess Allura," Shiro interrupted. "You said you were going to explain everything. Do you care to do so now?"

The machine beeped three times, spitting out five numbers:

_19,241_

_21,139_

_17,856_

_20, 765_

_18, 289_

Allura and Coran's eyes widened at the numbers, both unable to speak.

"Uh?" Pidge asked.

"That's impossible," Allura whispered. " _Two?"_

 "That level hasn't been seen in years," Coran murmured back. "We must recruit them to the order."

Pidge raised her hand, as if waiting to be called on in class. When no one called on her, she spoke, "You know I'm loving these cryptic and vague conversations you two are having and all, but I really want to find what the hell is going on and get back to my ship, thank you." She glanced to Shiro and dropped her voice, "you know, it looks like these two clowns," she pointed to Lance and Keith, "are in good hands. I say we just ditch them and head off with Hunk."

"Hey!" Lance and Keith said simultaneously.

"Jinx!" Lance yelled, a smug smile on his face.

"Jinx?" Keith questioned. "The hell's a jinx?"

Lance swiveled around, shouting, "You lose!" He then proceeded to punch Keith in the arm, sending a wave of pain through him. He winced, as it was the second time being punched that day.

"You don't know what jinxing is?" Hunk asked.

Keith shook his head, "...no?"

Lance waved his hand in a show of his exhibitionist behavior, "It is only the most cruel of games to ever bless this galaxy," Lance explained. His smile dropped, "my family and I used to play it all the time."

The room became silent as a heavy curtain fell over the group. Keith cleared his throat, trying to diffuse the tension, "Can you tell me more?"

Lance's corners of his mouth upturned once again, "Of course!" He beamed. "The rules are simple. When two people say the same word or phrase at the same time, one of the people 'jinxes' the other by yelling 'Jinx!'. The other person, AKA the jinxee, can not speak until the jinxer says their name. If the jinxee speaks, they lose. There are several variations of the game-"

"Yes, thank you," Allura interjected. "But Pidge is right. We must explain what is going on."

Lance leaned back in his chair, kicking up his feet. His lips were slightly pursed in annoyance. "Oh yes, go ahead. It's not like I was talking or anything. Does anyone here have any manners? I've been here for like half an hour and I've already been interrupted like ten times. I mean, honest-"

"You five have been brought here for a reason," Allura started.

"Eleven now!" Lance huffed. "Why do I even try?"

"It is no coincidence that you five have awakened us. All of you have a high concentration of midi-chlorians in your blood--some of the highest Coran and I have ever seen. Midi-chlorians are what connect us all. Each and every organism in this galaxy has them within them. A high concentration of these cells allow the organism to become what we call Force Sensitive."

Keith already knew all of this. He knew what Allura was going to say next.

"Force Sensitive?" Lance asked.

Allura nodded, "Yes. Those who can use the Force with enough time and practice."

"The Force?" Pidge questioned, eyes wide behind her round spectacles. "But I thought that was a myth! Wait, does that mean the Jedi still exist? Are you a Jedi? Wait, hold on. Are you going to arrest me?" Pidge glanced at Coran and Allura. "Because I'm not exactly a model citizen around here. The Jedi were like the troopers, right? Except they killed more, right? Are you going to kill me?"

"Pidge!" Hunk said. "Remember what we worked on?"

Pidge nodded, "Right, sorry. Anyway, do you mind answering all of my previously stated questions, along with giving us some cheap and poorly written exposition?"

"This isn't exposition," Hunk replied. "Just an explanation."

Pidge adjusted her glasses once again, as if it was a nervous habit, "So, the same thing?" She looked to an unidentifiable point in the room for a brief moment, as if she were looking at someone.

"Guys, guys, guys," Lance said, "Let the princess explain her stuff. I'm just as curious as you guys."

Allura looked around the five of them sitting down, the regret behind her eyes, "The Jedi were not police. They, we, were an order whose duty was to protect and serve."

"What happened to them?"

Allura turned her head down, clearly distraught. 

"Killed. All of them," Keith explained. "When Zarkon rose to power, he ordered their death. That's how the Empire rose--by taking out the one group standing in their way."

"How did you know that?" Lance queried. "I never learned that."

Keith was unable to move, to speak. He could have given away everything, "I, uh, read a lot?"

Lance narrowed his eyes, but didn't push Keith any further.

"Yes, precisely," Coran replied. "Your midi-chlorian count is outstanding, all of yours are. If we are to beat Zarkon, we will need to restore the Jedi Order once more."

"Hold up," Pidge said. "What's in it for us? I understand avenging your people and all, but as far as we know you're a bunch of extremists that had your  _own_ people kill each other. I mean, who should we trust? The two people who just emerged from carbonite that were part of an ancient religion or just trust ourselves? I'm all for taking down Zarkon, but this screams trap to me."

"Pidge is right," Hunk agreed. "You guys seem great, but how can we trust you?"

Allura sighed, "I feared it would come to this. Your doubts are rational, but please, we ask for your faith. Zarkon killed my people, destroyed our planet and many others, and if you think for one  _second_ he'll spare you, you're wrong. Pidge, you yourself said you were not a model citizen. If Zarkon were to ever catch you, he would kill you on the spot."

"Allura's right," Shiro said. "I've seen what Zarkon has done, what he's done to me. What he's done to your father, to your brother. He is no benevolent leader. His reign must end."

"And I totally agree with you there, Shiro, but is joining a cult really our best option?"

"It's not a cult," Keith cut in. "But the Jedi weren't exactly the people you're describing, either, Princess. They weren't perfect, but they're our best option."

"I say we join. Let's take this quiznaker down." Lance declared.

"Y'all are making a mistake," Pidge warned. "But, I guess since we're all doing this cringy 'I join, now everybody join thing', I guess I'll jump on the bandwagon with you guys. I'm in."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, you made it to the end! Please be sure to tell me what I can do to make this better <3  
> Also, I put in "it was clearly a brotherly touch" because in this AU Pidge is still 14-15 and Shiro is like 20 (pretty much all the ages are the same except Allura's and Coran's, because them technically being over 10,000 years old doesn't make sense with the plot. Quick question: Was Allura confirmed as a teenager? If so then her age is different because she is not a teenager in this fic). They WILL NOT have a romantic relationship in this at all. I wanted to make that clear.  
> ALSO ALSO Sorry for the lazy exposition. I just wanted to get it done with.


	3. Jinx!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The five begin to train.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I COULDN'T THINK OF A CHAPTER TITLE, OK? I AM NOT CREATIVE  
> Also, sorry this is another Lance-centric chapter (WHY AM I SORRY LANCE IS GREAT). I'm hoping to give Pidge, Hunk, and Shiro their own chapters as well to further explore their backstories. (Next chapter is just dedicated to flashbacks)  
> ALSO ALSO I just realized I left off a warning in the tags. There WILL be major character death in this...so don't get too attached (WHAT AM I DOING)

"So, Jedi, huh?" Lance mused. "They just sounded so elegant when Allura explained them, don't you think?"

Keith shrugged, "I guess."

Lance straightened from his leaning position on Keith's doorway, "I guess? I guess? That's all you have to say to being a saber-wielding, telekinetic badass?"

"It's not telekinesis, Lance. It's the Force."

He waved his hand, "Whatever, whatever, but you seemed on board with it earlier. What changed?"

Keith shook his head, "I don't know."

Lance stepped into the room, and the door slid shut behind him. He flopped onto the bed, sprawling over the sheets, purposefully extending his limbs to fill the area. His bangs fell over his forehead and lightly floated like air. He raised his head up to see Keith's expression. His face was buried in his hands, slightly red. Lance flipped onto his stomach and rested his head on his hands, staring at the boy, kicking his legs up behind him.

"This room is so nice! It's so much bigger than mine back home," Lance gushed.

"You know your room on the here looks exactly the same, right?"

Lance shrugged as much as he could from his position, "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Keith sat on the ground, staring up at Lance. His jacket was carelessly tossed to the ground, revealing a black t-shirt underneath. The metal cylinder that Keith was so protective of was too thrown on the ground. Keith's eyes peered out from underneath his bangs, scrutinizing Lance.

"So," Lance said. "What's home like for you? Friends? Family?" He paused. "Girlfriends?"

Keith's eyes quickly turned stormy, and his eyebrows knit together, "I'd prefer not to talk about that."

"Oh, okay."

Silence filled the room as the two boys stared at each other, unsure of what to say. Lance's eyes began to dart around the room, avoiding Keith's gaze. The room was fairly large, with the bed Lance was laying on and a bathroom door shoved in the corner of the room.  _I wonder what Keith's home is like._ Lance thought,  _Something must have happened to him to change the topic so suddenly_.

"Do you ever think about death?" 

Keith's words snapped Lance out of his trance, "Death?"

"Yeah, like mortality and stuff."

"I, uh, try not to."

The conversation lulled again. Lance traced circles across the sheets with his fingers.

"So," they both said simultaneously.

Lance glanced up at Keith, waiting for him to say it, "Uh," Keith said. "Jinx?"

Lance smiled, not saying a word.

"You can talk again, you know. I don't care."

Lance's grin widened, but he didn't reply. He made a motion of locking his lips with a key and throwing the key out. Keith giggled.  _Oh shit, he's cute,_ Lance thought.

"Oh quiznak, what am I supposed to say again to let you talk again?" Keith questioned. Lance made a _I don't know_ motion. "Uhhh, I grant thee the power to speak again?" Keith tried. Lance shook his head, beaming. Keith nervously brushed his bangs out of his eyes, "Lance, can you just tell me?"

Lance made a big motion of exhaling, "There you go! That's all you had to do."

Keith tittered at Lance, his purple eyes filling with warmth.

Lance clapped his hands together, "Well, I best be going off to bed. I don't want to be too tired for training tomorrow." Lance stood up and made way to the door.

"Lance?"

He turned around, "Yeah?"

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The door closed behind him.

* * *

The seven sat at a table the next morning, munching on some old food that Pidge had kept in her ship. She pointed with a fork to Allura, her mouth full of food, "so what are we doing today?"

"We must begin training today. If we are to beat Zarkon, you must be able to hold yourself in battle. Coran will attempt to fix the ship today so we may look for others."

"Others?" Lance questioned.

"The Jedi Order can not consist of just seven members." Coran explained. "With how long Zarkon has had, his army's numbers are far greater than seven can handle, even if they are adept with the Force."

"Oh." Lance's grin disappeared from his face, and he shoved more food into his mouth to hide his lackluster expression.

Allura glanced around the five, "While your attire may not be exactly orthodox, they will have to suffice for the time being," Allura stood up, brushing her hands on her clothing. She wore a simple dress, mostly blue with a few splashes of white. "The training chamber is down the hall to the left. Be there in ten minutes."

Allura exited the room, with Shiro following close behind on her heels. They were deep in conversation, with Shiro making large motions with his arms. Allura giggled. Pidge quirked her eyebrows and shoved her last bit of food into her mouth. She stealthily tiptoed after them, trying to make as little noise as possible. Hunk had finished his food previously, so he left behind Pidge, trying to keep her back from Shiro and Allura. She said something to Hunk, and he shrugged. Coran left as well, his eyebrows knit together and his eyes wide with worry. The five exited the room, leaving Lance and Keith alone. Lance looked at Keith, who was trying his best to avoid his gaze.

"What?" Keith asked acrimoniously.

Lance turned his eyes down, "It's nothing." He stood up to head to the training deck. He briskly walked out, but not before turning back to Keith. Keith was studying his cylinder that he kept close to him. Lance spun on his heels and entered the hallway. Rather than the darkness that had enveloped him the first time he enters these halls, he was washed in swaths of blue light. The light was the color of the water that Lance used to wake up to every morning. Lance wiped away a tear and walked into the training deck. It was large, at least two stories tall. It was white and well lit, and overlooking it was a balcony displaying holograms of different exercises. Allura and Shiro were huddled in the corner, chatting. Pidge and Hunk sat in the center, idly playing with their hands, while Pidge was trying to be discreet with watching Allura and Shiro. The door opened behind him. Keith stepped into the room, frowning. He moved forward, unaware of Lance in front of him. He bumped into Lance, nearly causing him to lose his footing.

"Watch it!" Keith growled.

"What the hell?"

"Why don't you just make sure your big-ass body stays out of the way? Is that too hard for you?"

"Maybe you should pay attention to where you're going!"

"Initiates!" Allura yelled. "Enough!"

Lance stepped away from Keith, his arms crossed. Keith did the same, glaring at Lance.

"The Jedi do not let anger guide their actions! Do not let this happen again!" 

"Fine. It won't happen again," Lance spat.

Allura nodded, "Initiates, please sit on the ground in front of me."

The five obliged, sitting on the ground.

"Typically training does not start this late," she glanced around, gauging their age. "However, this will have to do. First, we will learn the code," Allura passed out hand-written sheets of paper to each of the five. "This version of it shall be recited before training each day. Memorize it. You can read from the sheet today."

"Emotion, yet peace," they recited. "Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force."

"Good. The full code is slightly different, but this will suffice. Now, we will start your training."

* * *

Lance landed on his back, huffing as he hit the floor. Keith stood over him, the stick he grasped pressing to his throat. This was the fifth time Lance's rod had clattered out of his hand and Lance had been knocked to the ground by Keith. Sweat beaded on his forehead as the boy stood over him. Keith was breathing equally as hard, his face slightly red from exhaustion. Keith stepped back from Lance, averting his gaze. Lance shakily stood up, wiping the sweat from his palms on his pants. Keith's shirt clung tightly to his chest from the sweat that had built up. His jacket was thrown into the corner, and his tube was tucked underneath it. Allura too had knocked Shiro to the ground multiple times, but she was somewhat gentle with him, helping him up each time his back crashed to the floor. Pidge had been knocked down by Hunk a few times, but Pidge had managed to make Hunk lose grip on his stick six times. 

"Allura, can take a break?" Lance questioned. "I'm  _so_ tired."

Allura leaned on her staff, "There will be no breaks, however, we may switch exercises."

"Oh thank god." 

"This exercise is typically more advanced, however, it is highly important," Allura explained. "This will improve your mental strength, which is far more important than your physical strength." Allura passed around helmets to each of them. "When you are advanced enough, you will not need the helmets."

They put on the headgear. Lance was plunged into darkness, as the helmet was pulled well over their eyes. Allura's muffled voice could be heard instructing them to close their eyes and clear their mind. Lance closed his eyes.

"You will be attempting to mind meld with your peers. Please, try to look into your partner's mind."

Lance could feel Keith's presence across from him, hostile and dangerous. Lance pressed further. Images danced before Lance's eyes as Keith's thoughts played out in front of him.

The room was dark, with a few dim purple lights illuminating the room ever so slightly. In the center of the circular room was a man strapped to a table, his eyes fluttering open and close. His hair was black, with a small tuft of it falling over his face. The lighting in the room made it nearly impossible to distinguish any of his other features, yet he looked oddly familiar. Lance moved forward, as if he was in someone's body. Lance stood over the prisoner, and a black, gloved hand reached out to slap the prisoner awake. The prisoner opened his eyes, staring vacantly at Lance.

"Who are you?"

Lance didn't open his mouth, but words in a deep, somewhat robotic voice sprung from his lips, "You know who I am. Tell me. Where are the Rebels?"

The prisoner shook his head, "I told the last guy. I swear I don't know. I swear I'm telling the truth." Tears rolled down his face. "Please, let me go."

The gloved hand grabbed the prisoner's face, "I will give you one more chance. Where is the Rebel Base?"

"I don't know, I don't know, I swear!"

"I feared it would come to this." Suddenly, the images cut short, and he heard a helmet being thrown to the ground. He took off his helmet to see Keith angrily picking up his coat and exiting the room, the door sliding shut behind him.

"Keith! Your training is not over!" Allura yelled. 

"Allura?" Lance questioned. "How true are the images we see?"

"It depends. Sometimes the images are memories, other times just figments of the imagination. Why? What did you see?"

Lance shook his head, "It's nothing. I'm going to go check on Keith."

He followed Keith out into the hallway, unsure of what he was going to do or say. His footsteps echoed in the halls, bouncing off the vaulted ceilings. His feet carried him to Keith's room, where he stood, unsure if he was ready to knock. 

"Lance, I know you're out there. Go away."

The door opened, and Lance stepped into the room. Keith was sitting on his bed, his face wet and his eyes puffy and red. Lance sat next to him, still keeping his distance.

"Lance, get out of the room."

Lance didn't move. "Keith-"

"I said get out."

"Keith, I don't know why you suddenly hate me now, but we can talk about it! Work things out! I know that wasn't you there, Allura said that what I saw could be a figment of your imagination! It-"

"You told her?" Keith snarled.

"No, I just asked her if it was possible that the images I saw could be fake!"

Keith buried his face into his hands, tears slipping out of the cracks. He sobbed loudly, unapologetically, and shuddered with each breath. Lance placed a tentative hand on his shoulder in attempts to comfort him. Keith, surprisingly, didn't shrug it away. He continued to weep, unaware of the time. After some time, his palms began to dry, and he sat up, leaning on Lance for support.

"I'm a monster," Keith admitted.

Lance rubbed Keith's back, "No you aren't."

"Goddammit Lance, you don't know me! You don't know what I've done! You don-"

"Who cares? The past is in the past. My mom would always tell me, 'Mijo, we all make mistakes. Learn from the past, don't dwell on it. Use your mistakes to shape your future'. Keith, don't live by your mistakes. They're in the past."

Keith sniffled, "Thanks Lance, but I doubt-"

Lance pressed his finger to Keith's lips, "Ah, ah, ah! No buts!"

The ship shuddered. Coran's voice blared over the intercoms, "The ship is somewhat functional now! Everyone brace for takeoff!"

The ship launched into the air, and Lance was flung back onto Keith, the back of his neck crashing with Keith's nose. 

"Ow, fucking shit-" Keith swore, clutching his bleeding nose. It had just healed from Allura's punch, but once again the red liquid poured out of it, staining Lance's shirt. Lance was still pressed to Keith, and hastily got up. Keith was clutching his nose as he propped himself up with his hand, groaning in pain.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry!"

Keith waved it off, "It's fine, it's fine." He tilted his head back in an attempt to stop the bleeding. The blood continued to flow out, seemingly having no end. "Quiznak." Keith cursed.

"Uh, uh, what should I do?" 

"Just get me a cloth or something to catch the blood."

Lance glanced around the room until his eyes fell on a red cloth on the ground. It was the cloth Lance first met Keith in, thrown carelessly on the floor. Lance gently picked it up off the florring and handed it to Keith. He graciously took it and held it under his nose. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Lance twiddled his fingers as he waited for one of them to break the silence.

"Do you hate me?" Lance asked.

Keith took a deep breath, "I don't hate you. It's just complicated."

"Oh, okay." Lance made way for the door. "I have to get this blood out of my shirt. I'll see you later."

* * *

Lance had managed to get most of the blood off his shirt, and he sat in his room before a window. His view consisted of darkness with a few white dots of stars. They were in between systems currently, so not a planet was in sight. The desolate blackness enveloped the ship in a blanket of cold. Lance's eyes welled up with the thought of his family. He placed a hand to the window, "I'll come back. I promise."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH btw my tumblr is noquiznaksweregiventhatday  
> COOL NOW THAT WE GOT THAT OUT OF THE WAY  
> I understand that the characters in this don't 100% match their personalities in the show, and I am sorry. I hope this is still enjoyable for you!  
> 


	4. Flashbacks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All seven of them each having their own flashbacks. In order: Coran, Allura, Shiro, Hunk, Pidge, Keith, and Lance. I love flashbacks, so I figured why not dedicate a chapter to them :) Hopefully this isn't too cliche! The end of a flashback is signaled with a middle line thing.  
> Coran has two flashbacks, the rest only have one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter will contain some graphic violence (you can be the judge of that if you read it. I didn't find it super graphic, but I wanted to be safe)  
> I think whose flashback it currently is is (eewwww two ises in a row that still grammatically make sense) somewhat easy to figure out, but if you have any questions be sure to leave them in the comments below :)

"Focus, Allura. Clear your mind."

Allura tossed her braided hair back, her eyes squeezed shut, "I can't do it Coran, I can't do it!"

Coran stroked his mustache, deep in thought. Allura was by far his most difficult student to teach, not adept to learning in the traditional sense. "Allura, think about your room. Picture it now."

"But I thought you said to clear your mind?"

"Forget what I said before. Have you thought of your room?"

Allura opened one eye to study the man, "I don't see-"

"Close your eyes. Do you have it pictured?"

Her nose was scrunched up, as if smelling an unpleasant smell. Her mouth was drawn into a thick line of concentration. Her white hair was intricately braided by stylist for hours previously, and each braid slightly swayed in the breeze of the garden. Coran stood over the girl, while she sat on a small white bench. Snow lightly dusted the trees before them, however, the temperature was bearable. Glower makeup dotted her face, creating intricate, glowing patterns. She wore a simple blue dress. 

"Yes."

"Good. Now tell me, do you have a bed?"

"Yes, but I don't see how that's-"

"Focus. Do you have a mirror?"

"Yes."

"What do you see?"

"I see a girl. She had white hair, and blue eyes. She's unfit to rule, she can't do it. Everyone will look down on her. She'll-"

"Ah. There's our problem. Allura, open your eyes."

Allura opened her eyes, and Coran bent so he was eye level with Allura. "Allura, your doubt it clouding your judgement and your mental ability. Remember, there is no emotion, only peace. The one true path to the dark side is to let your doubts control you. You will make a wonderufl leader of Alderaan, one to make your father proud."

Allura nodded, silent. Her cheeks were as round as apples, and her ears were the opposite of that, small and pointy. Coran sighed, "I have faith in you. Now, that's the end of our session today. Why don't you run off and play with the other Younglings?"

Allura bounded to the other children, laughing as she went. The others wore simple brown robes, the standard attire of the Jedi, but Allura made a few modifications to her uniform. They giggled as snowballs flew through the air, all being controlled by the Force.

Allura was hit in the back of the head with snow. She turned around to see the culprit lying in the snow, laughing, "Tenbris! I'm going to get you!"

"Only if you catch me!" Tenbris began sprinting away, giggling, as Allura chased him. Coran smiled.

"Coran, I must speak with you."

 Coran spun around to see a man that looked similar to Allura. He had a neat, trimmed beard on his chin and wore loose fitting robes. "Yes, Alfor, what is it?"

"Not around the Younglings. Walk with me."

They walked through the gardens, Alfor clearing the snow on the path ahead of them with the Force. "Coran, I sense the dark side growing stronger."

"How long do we have? How can we prepare?" Coran asked in a hushed whisper. 

"Not long enough, I fear. Even with seven new additions to the Order, it simply will not be enough. We must make plans."

"I can arrange for a meeting-"

"No," Alfor interrupted. "I fear there is a traitor in our midst. We can not trust anyone." Alfor stopped, facing Coran. "Please, when it is Allura's time, volunteer to be her master. You're the only one I can trust. I know she may not be a good student now, but she will make a fine Padawan."

Coran nodded, "I will."

Alfor placed his hand on Coran's shoulder, "Thank you."

* * *

"Coran!"

Coran turned around to see Allura surrounded by droids, quickly closing in. She deflected their fire with her blue lightsaber, but she was becoming overwhelmed. Coran sprinted over swinging his lightsaber through the droids. With the droids distracted, Allura sliced her lightsaber through them, their metal pieces clattering to the ground. They turned to each other and nodded, dashing to the door at the end of the hallway. Coran thrust his hand out, and the doors forcefully swung open. 

A man stood in the center of the room, his back turned to them. "Ah, finally. I was starting to worry." His black robes shifted while he clutched something in his left hand.

"Surrender to the Jedi Order!" Allura shouted.

He turned around his black robes moving with him. His face was covered by a hood pulled over his eyes, but it did not hide the grin plastered on his face. The sound of a lightsaber turning on filled the room. The red shaft he clutched hummed slightly. "Without a fight? I don't think so."

"Tenbris! It doesn't have to end like this!" Coran called. "You'll be given a fair trail! I still sense the light within you! You can be redeemed!"

Tenbris let out a chuckle, pulling down his hood. A scar ran down the right side of his face, making his eye milky white. He smirked, twirling his lightsaber. "Fair? When have the Jedi ever been fair? Coran, Allura, you have to admit at least sometimes you want nothing more than to experience emotions? Passion? Power?"

"Step down, Tenbris!" Allura yelled.

"Oh, sweet, sweet Allura. Always the worst student of the bunch, weren't you? I remember at night, me and some of the others would just talk about you  _endlessly._ You never seemed to knew what was going on, did you? Always Coran's least favorite, always the ignorant one. Just like your mother."

Allura stepped forward, her eyes ablaze. She swung her lightsaber, "You want a fight? Come and get it."

"Allura, no!" Coran cried. "Don't give into your anger!"

 Tenbris flipped down from where he was standing, swinging his saber onto Allura. Allura parried it with hers, sending him reeling back. Tenbris simply snickered, "Yes, Allura, listen to Coran. Always listen to Coran, and no one else. Not even yourself."

Allura furrowed her eyebrows, "Coran, stay out of this."

Allura sloppily swung at Tenbris, which he easily sidestepped. "Kill me like I killed your mother."

Allura screamed and jammed out her hand, aiming to grab Tenbris' lightsaber. He deflected it with the Force, keeping a tight grip on it. Allura continued to scream with each jab she made at Tenbris, until all of her strength was behind each swing. She knocked his saber out of his hand, and it clattered to the ground. She pulled it over to her, and Tenbris sunk to the ground, both arms up in surrender.

"I surrender!" His voice quavered. "Please, just take me in!"

"No." 

"Allura, he is unarmed! You cannot kill him! It is against the Code!"

"This boy killed my mother. He cannot live."

"Allura, this will set you on the path for the dark side! Do not kill him!"

Coran stepped forward in an attempt to stop her. Her small Padawan braid swayed in an invisible wind, and she held both lightsabers to each of her sides. She raised her own up, bringing down upon Tenbris. He cried out in pain as his arm fell to the ground. There was not blood, as the saber's heat immediately cauterized the wound. Tears streamed down his face as Allura brought down his saber on his other arm. It too fell to the ground, and he screamed once more. Allura kicked him to the ground, and his back hit it. She brought both lightsabers down upon his legs, effectively cutting them off. There was more screaming, more severed limbs. Allura's eyes were like a wild animal's, crazed and vacant. "You must feel the pain my mother felt!" She cried out.

Coran knew if he approached her or tried to stop her, she would turn on him. He was a helpless bystander to the horrors that lay before him. Allura closed Tenbris' saber and tossed it behind her. She began to cut him more more, showing no mercy, until she began to approach his heart. She stopped, breathing heavily, realization crossing her face. She dropped her saber to the ground and stepped back. There lay her childhood friend, severed into ten different pieces, crying for the mercy of killing him. 

Coran walked forwards, knowing that Allura was no longer in her crazed state. Tears streamed down her face as she uttered the same words over and over again, "What have I done?"

Coran pulled out his lightsaber and in one fell swoop chopped Tenbris' head off. It rolled down the stairs, until stopping at the bottom. Allura clutched Coran's robes, sobbing into them. "Coran, I don't know what came over me. I don't know. What have I done? I'm a monster!"

Coran stroked Allura's hair as she wept, not saying a word. He shut his lightsaber off and let it fall to the floor with the others. He hugged Allura and let her cry.

"You aren't a monster. You were tricked by the dark side. You gave into your anger. It happens to the best of us," he reassured. Coran's robes were becoming damp with Allura's tears. He clutched Allura close, "Just promise it won't happen again."

"It won't."

* * *

Screaming, running, chaos. This was not the Alderaan Allura was used to. Clone troopers ransacked the temple, killing any and all Jedi in sight. Allura and Coran were huddled in a small hole, hoping their hiding spot will save them. She heard her peers scream out in pain as they were all gunned down, one by one. Coran's eyes poured out tears as he listened to his students' agony. 

Her father's words rang in her ears.  _You and Coran, go. Go to the ship and put it on autopilot. Jump into carbonite. It's our only option to keep the Jedi alive. We must go into hiding. The rest of us will fend them off. You are our only hope._ With that, Alfor pushed her and Coran away, into their current hiding spot.

It had been hours of hiding before silence rung through the gardens. Allura tentatively stepped out into the open air. She stiffed a scream at the horror she saw. There lay her peers on the ground, blood staining the normally white snow. Their opened eyes stared vacantly to the sky, unblinking. All of their mouths were opened in screams to be never finished. Allura walked over to one of her peers. A small hole was in the center of his chest, slowly seeping out red liquid. He was pale like the snow around him as the blood drained out of his body. The hole was bright red with muscles and torn pieces of his heart. Some of his veins lay on the opposite side of the hole in stark contrast with the snow. Allura looked up once again. The Jedi's lightsabers were scattered about, some even still on and burning the snow. Coran quivered behind her.

"Allura, we must heed your father's orders. We must go."

She spun around angrily, "Why didn't you let me fight? They're  _dead_ because of us!" She shouted.

"Princess, please keep your voice down. We must go now!"

"No!" She unsheathed her lightsaber and began to sprint to the garden. Coran dashed after her, grabbing onto her dress. He held his hand up to her head, "Coran, don't!" Allura went slack.

* * *

Shiro stood with his arms crossed, leaning against a wall of the ship. It was not his shift, but he was so restless he opted to stay awake until his next shift. Light snores came from the other room as his commander Sam slept soundly. 

"You should really sleep. You're going to be exhausted for you shift."

"I can't. I tried already. May as well keep you company."

Matt motioned to the copilot seat next to him, "Then by all means, at least sit."

Shiro sat down next to Matt, and Matt smiled, tapping his leg impatiently, "God, I can't wait until we get there."

"We'll get there soon, don't worry."

"I know, I know. I'm just anxious to get home to Katie, to Mom."

"Yeah," Shiro gazed out into the abyss before him.

The ship jolted suddenly, and the startled Sam Holt could be heard in the other room as he was scared awake. A small beep came from the com in front of them, signalling an incoming transmission. Shiro placed on his headphones and heard a deep, somewhat robotic voice on the other end. "You are being boarded by the Galra Empire. Do not attempt to escape, or face charges of treason." The voice cut out as the ship shuddered to a stop. Commander Holt quickly dashed out of his quarters, putting on a shoe as he stood before them.

"Both of you, do as they say."

"Yes, sir."

They stood at the door, anticipating the coming troopers. The sound of the ship docking indicated the approaching troopers. The door slid open to reveal four troopers and a man clothed in black robes. He had a hood pulled over his hair, and a mask covered his face. He would have looked intimidating if he was not shorter than the three.

"We have reasons to believe you have been conspiring with the Rebel Alliance. Would any of you like to confess?" The man in black questioned with the same robotic voice that was over the intercom.

They stood there, all unable to speak.

"Very well. Restrain them."

The troopers stepped forwards and within mere seconds they were handcuffed and being pushed out of their ship. Once on the white ship of the Empire, the man kicked the back of Shiro's knee. Pain erupted from within, and he crumbled to the ground.

"Take them to the holding cells. I'll deal with the scum later," he ordered the troopers. They nodded and hoisted Shiro back up, taking him, Matt, and Sam down a long hallway. Lights blinked on and off as the ship began to pull away, jumping back into motion. A door opened to their cell, and they were tossed in. The metal door closed, and they were plunged into darkness.

* * *

Hunk stood behind the counter, slaving away as he prepared each order of food. He wiped the beading sweat from his forehead and went back to working. Hunk loved cooking, but working eighteen hours a day for no pay was absolutely exhausting. The midday rush had just started, and he knew he simply wouldn't have the energy for it, but he had no choice. 

Someone sat down at the bar in front of him, and Hunk had to do a double take. They were small, barely reaching over the counter with their head. They had wide wire rimmed glasses framing their large amber eyes, and had hair that fell just above their ears. They glanced around at each of the patrons before turning to face Hunk, hands intertwined. Their face was like that of a prepubescent girl, small and rounded.

"I'll have a number three," They ordered. 

Hunk leaned forward across the counter and lowered his voice to a whisper, "Aren't you a bit young to be here?"

"No," they replied pointedly.

Hunk nodded, unconvinced. He went to go work on their order, just a simple glass of Bantha Milk with a shot of vodka in it. He mixed it together and poured it in a glass and slid it over to the stranger.

They took a sip of before scrunching their nose and set it back down again on the counter. Hunk chuckled, "You don't like it?"

Their eyes went wide, "No, no, no! I love alcohol! Absolutely love it!" They chugged down the rest of it, gagging and nearly spitting it back out. They smiled.

"You're secret is safe with me," Hunk murmured before winking. "Your total is twenty credits."

They handed over a card, still retching on the liquid and wiping away any excess on their lips. Hunk swiftly swiped the card and handed it back to the patron. "Have a nice day." He walked back to the kitchen, about to start on the next order when the costumer yelled, "Wait!"

"Yes?" he asked.

"How are your engineering skills?"

Hunk shrugged, "That's only my second job."

"How would you feel about accompanying me?"

"Where to?"

"I don't know. Anywhere really. I'm just looking for someone."

Hunks expression dropped, "I can't sorry. Gotta work off my debt."

They leaned over the counter, "if you run fast enough, they won't catch you."

Hunk wasn't sure what came over him at that moment, but he threw his rag to the ground and hopped over the counter, sprinting out of the bar. The costumer dashed after them, laughing, "Holy quiznak, you actually did it!"

"Where's you ship?"

They pointed to a beat up one in the lot, "There!" 

Hunk hopped in and the person followed him in.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Ka-I mean Pidge. The name's Pidge. Now, let's go before you get caught!"

* * *

He ruffled her hair, messing it up from its normal center part. His amber eyes displayed warmth from behind his round spectacles. He grinned ear to ear as he picked up the girl and swung her around. She giggled as the air enveloped her, feeling as if she were flying through the air, weightless. All too soon she was brought back to the floor below her.

"Can I please come with you?" Katie asked, her eyes wide to her brother. "I promise I won't cause any trouble."

Matt smiled, "When you're older."

Katie pouted, "Please?"

"You can go on the next mission. Deal?"

Katie nodded enthusiastically, "Deal!"

A man with peppered hair appeared in the door frame, leaning on it and watching the two siblings laugh. Katie looked up and grinned, running up into her father's open arms. He chuckled as she jumped up, nearly knocking him back. Her mother stood behind him, a twinkle in her eyes. "Katie, it's time for bed."

"Mooom," Katie whined. "Five more minutes?"

"No, no, your mother is right. It's time for bed!" Her father replied.

"But Daaaad."

"Ah, ah, ah! Commander's orders. It's off to bed for you!"

Katie fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Two years had passed, and there had been no signs of them returning. Ten months after they left, they lost communication. Nineteen months after they left, their ship was found, discarded into the vacuum of space.  _Smugglers, or bounty hunters,_ the man explained to Katie and her mother, _There weren't signs of a struggle._ With that, he left their house, his white cape flowing behind him. Colleen no longer smiled, no longer laughed. She would cry, and maybe have her lips pressed into a frown on good days. 

Three weeks later, the man came back. His medals shinned in the sun as he once again stepped foot into their home. 

He glanced to Katie, "Ms. Holt, I don't think the news I have to bear is suitable for children."

"Katie, go to you room."

Katie rounded the corner of the hallway, but stayed there, wishing to hear the conversation.

"-bodies were found. It appears that bounty hunters got to them."

"Can we see them one last time? To give them a proper funeral?"

"I am afraid not. Their bodies are needed for Empire purposes."

Katie heard stifled sobs from her mother. "I, I'll go tell Katie."

"No, please, allow me. I have been trained to deliver this type of news to the younger ones."

Katie heard chair being pushed back and the sound of boots across their floor. Katie began to dash to her room, in an attempt to make it before the officer found her, but it was in vain. He rounded the corner and grabbed her by the collar, forcefully spinning her around. 

"A troublemaker, are you? You don't listen to your mother?"

Katie stood there, motionless, unable to even make a sound. He glared down at her, his scrutiny unwavering, "Children like you always frustrate me." He shoved her to the wall, knocking her to the ground. "You already heard the news."

"You're lying!" Katie spat. "My family isn't dead."

He leaned over her, his rancid breath making her gag. "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Just be a good girl and do as your told, and maybe the Empire will show kindness to your family." He stepped over her and back into the other room. "Your daughter is in denial right now. It's fairly common, especially among the younger ones. Give her time to adjust. She may sprout some lies, some fantasies, but I can assure you these are all simply figments of her imagination."

"Thank you, officer."

Katie heard the door close as he left, the ghost of his grimy hands still on her shoulder. 

Two weeks later, Katie had managed to hack into the database. She searched every key word possible:  _Holt, Shirogane, Bounty Hunters._ All turned up with nothing pertaining to the whereabouts, the status of the crew members. Something was not adding up.

One week later, Katie decided she was done with waiting. It was night, and her mother had gone to bed. Katie scrambled to the bathroom and flicked on the light. She hastily grabbed the pair of scissors she stole from the kitchen, and held it up to her hair. She took in one deep breath before cutting. After an hour of styling, she was barely recognizable. She grabbed the bag she had packed from her bed, and tiptoed into her mother's room. She lay on her bed, sleeping, oblivious. "Bye, Mom."

* * *

Keith panted as he hit the training deck, his lightsaber clattering out of his hands. A man stood before him, his white hair flowing around him, his yellow eyes peering into his soul. His saber retracted back into its handle, and he pushed his hair out of his face. He looked away from Keith, not even sparing him a glance. Keith groaned as he got up, his muscles sore from hours of training. He hobbled over to his lightsaber and picked it up, too tired to even use the Force. He clicked it back on, the red shaft humming. The man chuckled, "you've lost over a hundred times today. Just give it up!"

Without warning, Keith charged at him. Taken by surprise, the man was unable to parry it. His saber crashed to the ground, steaming from where Keith's blade had hit. He stood there, stunned that Keith could actually disarm him.  

"I don't give up until I win."

The man flipped his hair back, "if losing one hundred times and disarming me once is a win for you, I pity what you consider a victory."

"Whatever, Lotor."

Lotor chuckled, "no comeback, eh?"

Keith frowned. He absolutely hated Lotor. If he had to save all the Jedi or Lotor, he would save the Jedi over him any day, even if it meant him having to tear them down again. Lotor simply strolled out of the room, laughing to himself. Oh how Keith wished to see his head on a platter.

* * *

He waded knee deep into the water, laughing as the star shined its rays onto the beach. Lance's siblings playfully splashed each other, soaking their hair in water. Lance floated, his toes just barely grazing the sand below him. He let the waves gently push him back, allowing his body to hang in the ocean. He dipped his head back, staring up at the blue sky above him. Small clouds dotted the heavens, creating intricate patterns of white wisps. His hair surround him in a halo, getting caught in the currents. His tranquility was quickly interrupted, however, by water being shoved up his nose by one of his siblings. 

"Come and play with us, Lance," Arten said, scrunching his nose.

Lance sat up, water trickling from his nose. He brushed back his damp locks. "Arten, I was trying to relax."

"Hermano, play with your younger siblings," Xerda ordered. 

Lance wanted to protest, but his sister's word was law. She was the eldest, meaning anything she said they had to do. Lance began splashing his younger siblings, soaking them more than they already were. Lance laughed and his siblings retaliated, working together to take him down. "Hey! No fair! You guys are working together!" They just giggled and continued to splash Lance.

After a few hours of playing varying games with his siblings, his mother called, "¡Niños! ¡Entra la casa! ¡Es la hora de cenar!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK ORDER OF FLASHBACKS IF YOU WERE CONFUSED:  
> 1\. Coran  
> 2\. Coran (but you could argue Allura if you wanted to)  
> 3\. Allura  
> 4\. Shiro  
> 5\. Hunk  
> 6\. Pidge (at this point she's still Katie though)  
> 7\. Keith  
> 8\. Lance  
> ALSO my Spanish is not good. I only know what I learned in school, and I can hardly remember anything now because I take Latin instead. If you see any mistakes, PLEASE let me know <3


	5. Truth or Dare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly fluff because I need to mentally prepare myself for the angst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FLUFF FLUFF FLUFF  
> ALSO DO NOT READ THE END NOTES UNTIL THE END (I know some people read all the notes before reading for some reason IDK) BECAUSE THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FOR THIS CHAPTER AT THE END  
> ALSO ALSO ALSO I AM SUPER DELIRIOUS WHILE WRITING THIS (Sleep deprivation is fun) SO LIKE I DIDN'T PROOF READ IT OR ANYTHING  
> ALSO ALSO ALSO ALSO THIS CHAPTER IS SHORT BECAUSE I NEEDED TO FOCUS ON FINALS OK COOL THANKS (you can probably tell which notes I wrote late at night vs the ones I wrote during the day loool)  
> OH MY GOD I WAS SO TIRED I FORGOT TO ADD A TITLE OH MY GOD AHAHAHAHAHA

Lance lay on the floor as Keith looked down at him from the bed. It had been three months since they started training, and Lance was improving every day. He had managed to knock the staff out of Keith's hand once in the span of the months, however, Lance suspected Keith let him. Lance and Keith would talk to each other almost every night, becoming closer with each day. Keith picked at his gloves as Lance kicked his legs back and forth on the ground. Both of their faces were painted in green.

"Can I take it off now?" Keith asked.

Lance glanced to the timer sitting on the ground, "We still have like two more minutes. Just enjoy it, Keith." 

Keith brought his hand up to his face before dropping it again, "but it itches!"

"If you can train for like twenty four hours a day, you can wait two minutes to take off a face mask."

"Fine."

Lance rolled onto his back, tilting his head back to look at the boy, "You can be really impatient sometimes."

"Oh, and like you're the epitome of patience?"

"I'm patient!"

"Were you patient that time we stopped on Corellia for some ice cream and shoved a child out of the way just so you could order first?"

"I was craving something familiar."

"What about when you asked Coran ten billion times if we were 'there yet' when you knew it would take two days to get to Aleen?"

"I was just wondering when would were there..."

"Or how about that time-"

"Okay, okay, maybe I'm  _slightly_ impatient."

The timer rang with soft beeps. Keith began to claw at his mask, attempting to take it off.

"No! Keith, don't do that!"

Keith paused from his scratching. "What? The timer rang."

Lance stood up and grabbed Keith by his hand to lead him to the bathroom tucked in the corner of the room. It glowed blue as they entered, illuminating the cramped area. The bathroom was so small Lance could feel Keith's breath on his hair, and with each breath Lance tried not to choke. Lance led Keith to the sink, which was decorated by intricate blue swirls surrounding it. Lance saw Keith's eyes making eye contact with him through the mirror. Lance still wasn't sure  _what_ Keith's eye color was. Sometimes it look purple, other times blue, and even sometimes grey. They kept the eye contact for a few moments before Lance cleared his throat and turned on the faucet. Warm water spilled out, making Lance's hand tingle. He let go of Keith's hand with the other and grabbed a hanging towel. He ran it under the water and began to slightly scrub Keith's face, gently taking off the mask. They stared at each other, not speaking. After a few minutes, the mask was off. Lance quickly scrubbed off his and set the towel back down.

"That's how you take off a mask."

They were facing each other now, inches apart in the tiny area. Keith stepped forward, closer to Lance. Lance's breath hitched as Keith moved closer. Lance was frozen in place. Lance was shoved against the wall, and Keith's lips pressed to his. He was startled for a moment, but shortly closed his eyes and brought his hand up to Keith's hair to run his fingers through it. Keith press one hand to the wall, and the other was on Lance's cheek. All too soon, Keith pulled away, turning red and breathing heavier than usual. Lance too was blushing, glancing to the ground.

"I, uh," Keith stuttered.

Lance grabbed Keith's chin and brought him closer, and their lips met for the second time.

* * *

"The others can't know."

"Why not?" Lance questioned. "You embarrassed to be with me?"

Keith crossed his arms, a grin playing on his face. They were in a closet, the aqua light illuminating their faces. "Well, that too, but Allura would  _flip_ out if she found out."

"Oh god," Lance said. "Are you and Allura...?" he trailed off.

"Oh, god no. Did you even read the code?"

Lance looked down, "I may have skimmed it slightly and not  _completely_ have read it."

Keith sighed, "Well, if you had read it you would  _know_ that relationships are forbidden."

"Who cares? I've seen Allura blow a top at Coran before, which I'm fairly sure I read was against the code."

Keith bit his lip. "I know, but can we just keep it a secret for a little while? We need to test the waters first. Just trust me, okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

Lance happily sipped the berry juice Pidge had found lying around on the ship, sitting cross-legged on the floor. When Pidge first tried the juice, she scrunched up her nose in disgust, but quickly downed it anyway. She was now on her third glass, and she would constantly poke Hunk and act like she didn't do anything, turning around each time he looked at her. Hunk would just giggle and go back to his drink. Shiro lay on the floor, mumbling something incoherent. Keith stood in the corner, picking at his gloves. Lance swung his glass around. "Keith, get your ass over here!"

Keith glanced to Lance before stepping over. Lance laughed as Keith sat down next to him. "Hey yo Keith, buddy, you want some juice?"

"Uh, sure."

Lance sloppily poured Keith some juice, spilling most of it on the ground. Lance chuckled and handed Keith the glass, patting him on the back, singing, "juuuuiiiiccceee, juuiiiiiccceee, juuiiiiiccceee. Juice is good. I like juice."

Keith nodded and took a few sips. In about ten minutes, Keith had guzzled his drink and was demanding more. Lance eagerly poured him more, lounging back while doing so. 

Pidge's glasses were on crooked, and she didn't bother adjusting them. "Guys! I have an idea. We've been on this," she motioned around the room, seemingly forgetting a word, "thing for like three months and we know nothing about each other! Let's play truth or dare!"

"What's," Keith paused, hiccuping. "That?"

Hunk giggled. "Someone will ask you truth or dare. You pick one. If you pick truth, you get asked a question and you must answer it truthfully. If you pick dare, you have to do something that we tell you to."

"LANCE!" Pidge yelled. "Truth or fucking dare?"

Shiro opened one eye. "Pidge, don't swear like that. I don't think your mother would approve."

"Whatever, Shiro."

Lance stroked his chin, grinning. "You know I'll have to go with dare."

"Hmm. I dare you to," Pidge smirked, "give Keith a lap dance."

Lance chortled. "Right away."

Lance tried to be as seductive as possible, but he was constantly losing his balance and falling on Keith. He would just giggle and continue, falling over and over, unable to stay steady. The rest of the team tittered as Lance failed horribly. Keith was as red as a tomato, burying his face in his hands.

"That's enough." Pidge said through laughter, tears in her eyes. "Lance, it's your turn."

He tapped his cheek. "Keith!" He announced.

Keith's head shot up from his hands to look at Lance. "Uh."

"Keith, truth or dare?" Lance questioned. He sat down in Keith's lap, caressing his face. Keith was turning red again. Shiro was still laying on the floor, oblivious of what was happening. "Keeeiitthh," Lance cooed.

"Uh, truth?"

"Aw, you're soooo boring. Alas, I must abide by the rules and ask you a question." Lance tittered again. "Why are you so emo?"

"I am  _not_ emo."

"Yes you are," Lance replied, continuing to stroke his face. "Answer my quessstttiiiiiooon."

"I'm emo because it helps me forget the crushing weight of reality."

"Spoken like a true emo."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

Keith shoved Lance off of him, and Lance hit the cold hard ground. He groaned, "Ow."

Keith smirked and leaned back, brushing his bangs out of his hair. "Hunk, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Hunk giggled.

"Favorite thing about home?"

Hunk beamed, "Oh I just love the smell of the kitchen. And when I could go home to my mom. My mom taught me to cook, ya know. She had a smile that could just warm a room."

"Sounds nice," Keith replied.

"It was. Okay! Pidge, truth or dare?"

"You already know about me, why are you asking me?"

"You haven't gone yet. Everyone but you and Shiro has gone, and I'm fairly sure Shiro just passed out."

"Fine! Dare!"

Hunk scratched the back of his head, "Guys? A little help here?"

"Oh! I got it!" Lance replied. "Go run up to Coran or Allura, yell 'I HAVEN'T SLEPT IN FORTY HOURS', then run out."

Pidge dashed out of the room, bumping into the couches as she sprinted out. She was unstable, but that didn't stop her from running out. Muffled yelling of the words "I HAVEN'T SLEPT IN FORTY HOURS" could be heard from another room, along with some confused mumbling after words. Pidge burst back into the room and sat on the ground, looking pleased with herself. Although not a funny dare, their drunk selves found it hilarious, rolling on the floor laughing.

"Lance! You're the interesting one here. Truth or dare?"

"Truth! I don't feel like getting up again."

She smirked. "Oh I was hoping you would say that."

"Oh, quiznak."

Pidge laughed manically, "Yes! What's your favorite thing about Keith?"

"Oh, probably that he's a good kisser."

Keith's glazed eyes shifted, his brain slowly becoming aware of what was being said. 

"Lance, this is  _truth_ or dare, not lie and dare."

"No, I'm serious!"

Pidge rolled her eyes. "I guess that concludes this game, as one person is  _refusing_ to follow the rules."

Lance crawled back over to Keith and leaned his head on his shoulder. "I am following the rules." He fingered Keith's hair. "Isn't that right, Keithy-boy?"

Keith stiffed, unsure where to put his hands. "Uh."

"Oh yes," Lance bubbled. "Keith is  _quite_ the kisser."

"Go home, Lance, you're drunk," Pidge teased.

"I am  _not_ drunk! I could probably have five more glasses of this juice if I wanted to!"

The alcohol was already wearing off on Keith, and he suddenly realized the situation he was in. Lance was nearly passing out on him, flirting with him at every opportunity. 

"Lance, you need to rest."

Lance stood up, sloshing his drink as he did. "I don't need rest! I need more juice! And you!" He giggled again. 

Keith looped his arm around Lance. "Come on, let's get you to bed, buddy."

"Ohhhh are you taking me to beddd?"

Keith ignored Lance's drunken comments and nearly carried him to his room. The door opened and he laid Lance on the bed. As soon as Lance was laying horizontally, he was passed out cold. Keith pulled the blankets over Lance before letting the door close behind him.

* * *

Lance was not a morning person,  _especially_ when he was hungover. Someone was hitting his head with a hammer, and there was a constant ringing in his ears. Every once in a while, black spots would dance in front of his eyes. He hadn't left his room all morning, with the exception of running to the bathroom to vomit. He remembered nothing from the night before. Training was going to be hell today. Lance heard a knock at the door.

"What?" he groaned.

The door opened to Keith standing in his pajamas. They were red fuzzy pants decorated with little R2 units, and with a simple black shirt pulled over. He carried two mugs full of steaming hot liquid. He wordlessly handed Lance a mug and sat down next to him on the bed. The door slid shut. Lance began to take small sips, the liquid warming his insides. "Thanks."

Keith nodded, taking sips as well. He stared to an unidentifiable point in front of him. 

"So how stupid was I last night?"

Keith shrugged. "Surprisingly, not as stupid as I thought you would be. Flirted with me relentlessly, giggled at everything, and sang a bit. So, nothing to bad."

"How much do the others remember?"

"Shiro was passed out cold, so I doubt he'll remember much. Pidge and Hunk haven't confronted me about your flirting, so I'd say you're good."

Lance set his mug on the ground, already finished with his drink. He leaned back on the bed, and Keith joined him, tucking into his side. Lance wrapped his arms around Keith and shut his eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all, I may have glorified being drunk here, but being drunk can cause some serious health problems. Stay safe!  
> Also I just needed to write fluff because honestly I am just so stressed for finals lol  
> ALSO I know this is moving sort of fast, but I am an impatient. Also, I have a love-hate relationship with fics that have their relationship at the very end. So, I figured in this fic I would explore their relationship instead of just putting it at the end. I hope this doesn't seem too rushed!


	6. Floating in Nothingness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More klance stuff I guess (I'm sorry I'm so tired and I can't think of a good chapter summary)  
> ALSO sorry these have been short lately. I am preparing for finals right now, so it's been a bit hectic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOD I FORGOT A TITLE ON THE LAST ONE BECAUSE I WAS SO SLEEP DEPRIVED AHAHAHAHAHAHA WHOOPS  
> FINALS ARE GOING TO KILL ME I SWEAR  
> ALSO sorry these have been short lately. I am preparing for finals right now, so it's been a bit hectic. I'm trying to keep up with the schedule best I cant, and the only way for me to do that is with short chapters. Thank you guys so much for understanding <3.  
> Once finals are over, I may change the schedule to twice a week with longer chapters :)

Lance awoke to Keith nestling his head on his chest, passed out cold. Both of them had managed to fall asleep, despite it being ten in the morning. Lance yawned and stretched, trying to be as quiet as possible. Keith's pajamas were absolutely adorable, with the red R2 units perfectly complementing the sleepwear. Lance fingered Keith's hair, forgetting for a moment that they were on a quest to topple the entire government. Keith's mouth was slightly open, drool spilling out onto Lance's shirt. Lance tried not to move any further to prevent Keith from waking up. Keith's hair was soft like the sandy beaches back on Scarif, and his breaths like the waves crashing on the shore. They lay like this for what seemed like hours before Keith finally opened his eyes. He blinked a few time and scanned the room, attempting to gain his bearings. His bangs swished in front of his face, covering his eyes as he sat up. He locked eyes with Lance. 

"How long was I out?"

Lance shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine." 

Keith groaned as he rubbed his face. "We are so fucked." Keith began to scramble out of the bed, brushing back his hair as he fell out of Lance's arms onto the floor. His head quickly popped up like a gopher, examining the area for threats. Seeing none, he stood up, towering over Lance. He would have looked intimidating except for he was in his pajamas. He blew his bangs out of his eyes. "Let's go."

Lance rolled out of bed and hastily stood up, following Keith out the door. His hair was sticking up in every direction like a lion's mane, the brown curls lightly falling around him. He ruffled his hair as Keith led the way, trying to tidy it. The locks stubbornly stood in place, not moving with Lance's hand. Keith darted to a set of large white doors, which opened for him quickly. In the room lounged Pidge, her limbs flung across the couch. She wore her normal green shirt, and her blaster was carelessly tossed to the side of her. Hunk sat nearby on the ground, leaning his back on the couch for support. He clutched a metal object that was dwarfed within his hands, fiddling with it in every imaginable possible way. Shiro and Allura were whispering to each other, glancing around every few minutes. Coran sat on the couch across from Pidge, his fingers twirling around each other. 

"Finally!" Pidge exclaimed, seeing the two boys. "Took you guys long enough." She sat up, her glasses nearly slipping off her face.

Allura moved over to the group, with Shiro tailing close behind. "We are approaching Akiva." Allura scanned the five. "And please, for the love of god, get dressed."

* * *

Lance's clothing stuck to his skin as he exited the ship, becoming wet with humidity. He wiped sweat from his forehead as he stepped foot onto the dirt. Large green foliage extended to the bright blue sky. They were overlooking a city in a valley below, sprawling over the thick jungle. Keith stood behind him, his arms crossed. "We heading to the temple here?"

"Temple?" Hunk asked.

"There's rumored to be an old Jedi Temple here," Keith explained. "Under the city, that is."

"There is no temple here," Allura replied. "We are simply scouting for Force sensitive individuals."

Allura began to climb down the valley, dirt crumbling below her. Everyone followed her, picking their way down slowly. Everyone was silent on their trip down, not sure what to say to each other. In about on hour, they had reached the city. It was crowded, with words being thrown everywhere in different languages. Most of the faces were human, however a few other species speckled the crowd. The streets were made of dirt, and the buildings of clay. Lance dropped to the back of the group to Keith. Keith was scanning the crowd, his hands dancing above his cylinder, ready to pull it out at a moment's notice. Lane tapped on his shoulder. Keith jumped. "What?"

"Nothing," Lance replied. He dropped his voice, "Just wanted to hang out with the hottest person here." 

Keith turned bright red, not replying. He quickened his pace to catch up with the rest of the group. Lance jogged up to them. Allura pointed to a small building. "In there."

They entered the clay structure. It was filled to the brim with people, all eating, laughing, and drinking to their hearts' content. In the center was a large bar, where many sat at with their large pitchers of alcohol. Allura grabbed a booth and they all sat down. Lance sat next to Keith, trying to get as close to him as possible. Keith was turning redder by the minute. Allura folded her hands together, her eyes darting from Keith to Lance. "We'll split up into teams. Hunk and Keith, you'll take the north end. Pidge and Lance, you'll take the south end. Coran will be taking the west end, and Shiro and I will be taking the east end. Look for anybody younger than yourself and try to get them to agree to a blood test. If they have a high midi-chlorian count, radio it in."

"Can Keith and I go together?" Lance asked, batting his eyelashes. 

"Fine," Allura grumbled. "You two take the north end. Everyone meet back here by sundown."

Keith was expressionless.

"Lighten up, Mullet!" Lance exclaimed. "This is going to be fun!"

* * *

It was not fun.

Lance had somehow managed to convince Keith to leave with him briefly to go into the jungle for some "alone time". Keith was now stuck chest deep in a pit of quicksand, sinking into the depths of the planet.

"I swear to god Lance, I am not following you anywhere again."

Lance closed his eyes and focused on moving a branch of a nearby tree. He exhaled and moved his hand. He tried this multiple times before opening one eye. The branch had stayed in place. He closed his eye again. 

"Goddammit, Lance! Just use your blaster!"

Lance opened both eyes to see Keith now neck deep in the silt. Lance pulled out his blaster and shot the branch. The wood came clattering to the ground, nearly hitting Lance. The end that the blaster hit steamed and was as red as a star. Lance hauled the stick over to Keith and threw one end to him. "Grab on."

Keith wrapped his hands around the branch. Lance began to pull back. Keith was slowly, but surely, becoming unstuck from the sand. With one final tug, Keith was launched out of the sand, falling face first onto the ground next to Lance. The majority of his body was covered in the brown silt, dirtying his normally black clothing. He panted as he rolled over to look at the greenery above. Lance plopped down next to him, gasping for air as well. The sky above was painted slightly pink, the clouds dancing above them. Lance scooted closer to Keith. Keith sighed, but made no movement away from Lance. The lay like this for a while, simply enjoying each other's company and not speaking. The sky became darker and darker, and soon the stars began to come out. The sky looked as if someone had poured pearls on purple silk--soft and beautiful. Keith abruptly sat up. "Oh, shit."

"What?"

"We were supposed to be back by sundown."

Lance jumped up and offered a hand to Keith. "Let's go."

They sprinted through the forest, and entered back into the city. A few people glanced at the sand-covered teen, but decided not to bother them. They kicked up dirt as they ran, making it difficult to discern a few feet in front of them. They put their arms up to shield their eyes and pushed forwards, not stopping until they saw a familiar building. They dashed inside to see Pidge, Hunk, Coran, Allura, and Shiro waiting impatiently in the same booth. With them sat four small children, kicking their feet feet back and forth as they blew bubbles in their drinks.

"Nice of you to finally join us," Allura commented.

Keith and Lance slid into the booth, not replying. The children glanced to Keith before bursting into laughter. Keith merely frowned.

"Why are you covered in mud?" One child asked, tugging at Keith's now-brown sleeve.

"Someone," Keith pointedly looked at Lance, "decided going into the jungle was the best option."

"Hey! You seemed pretty on board with it!"

"Why the hell," Pidge said, "did you think that the crinking  _jungle_ would be the best place to look?" She narrowed her eyes. "Or maybe..."

"Please do not swear around the young ones," Shiro said.

Pidge slumped back. "Fine."

"Neither of you brought back  _any_ younglings?" Allura questioned.

Lance shook his head. "We got caught in some quicksand. Had to pull Keith out. We didn't really have time to find anyone."

"What did you do for the rest of the time? It could not have taken you three hours to pull Keith out of quicksand."

"Oh I have an idea of what they were doing."

"Pidge!" Hunk exclaimed.

"Pidge, may I remind you there are children around, and it is completely against the code. I trust Lance and Keith enough to know they wouldn't do that," Coran replied. "Now, let's get the ones we do have tested."

About thirty minutes later, the blood results were back. The children were all low in their midi-chlorian count, ranging the hundreds. They bid the children farewell and trudged back to the ship, upset over their waste of time. The two moons had emerged for the night, bathing their ship in light. Feeling the presence of them coming, it began to glow blue with energy. The doors opened and they entered inside.

"I'll get the ship going tonight to our next destination," Coran explained. "Training starts bright and early tomorrow, so don't be late!" With that, Coran dashed off to the control room, twirling his mustache as he did. Pidge followed after him, explaining she wanted to learn more about the ancient technology. From the start, Coran and Pidge seemed to hit it off well, always talking about new and old technology. 

Hunk yawned, stretching his arms up to the ceiling. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm exhausted. I'll see you guys in the morning!"

Shiro glanced to Keith and Lance, but then walked away to his room, his metal arm glowing blue in the light.

Allura turned to the two teens. "Don't think I'm going to let you off easily today," Allura scolded. "I expect both of you to train two hours more than the others tomorrow. Do not disappoint me." She spun around on her heels and walked off to her room.

Keith and Lance strolled to their rooms, taking the long way around. They moved closer and closer, until Keith finally grabbed ahold of Lance's hand. All too soon, they reached their destination. They stood in front of Lance's door, facing each other, inches apart. Keith pressed a firm kiss to Lance's lips before striding over to his room. Lance stood motionless for a moment before entering his room. He changed into his pajamas and shut off the light.

* * *

 

"Lance, wake up!"

Lance's eyes snapped open to see Keith above him, his raven hair tickling his face. "What time is it?"

"Doesn't matter. Come with me."

He tugged Lance out of bed and out of his room into the hallway. It was barely lit, with only a few blue lights on. They padded carefully on the floor before reaching a large set of double white doors. Keith pushed them open and dragged Lance inside.

"It's beautiful."

The room was large, featuring a window that covered most of the walls. The room was mostly black, with a few grey pieces for furniture. Through the window, it was purple, blue, and red, with stars flashing through the super nova. The ship slowly moved past it. Keith then proceed to take Lance over to a rack filled with suits. He tossed a white one decorated with blue to Lance. "Get changed."

Lance placed the suit over his pajamas and grabbed the matching helmet. Keith had done the same, except his was decorated with red. He tapped the left side of his face, where his ear would normally be, signally Lance. Lance copied Keith, hitting a small button on the left.

"You can hear me now, right?" Keith asked.

"Clear as day."

Keith grabbed Lance's hand once again and led him to the far right side of the room. On it was a simple black door, with another door on the side of it.

"Have you been in space before?" Keith questioned.

"I mean, we're in it now."

Keith smiled. "I mean, like physically in it."

"I guess not."

Keith's grin only widened further. "Good."

Keith pressed a large glowing blue button on the door, and it opened. They stepped inside the smaller room, with the door shutting behind them. "You ready?" Lance nodded, his hands still locked with Keith's. Keith pressed a red button, and the exit opened. Keith pushed off the ground, bringing Lance with him. They floated just outside the ship, no ground below them. The ship continued moving forward, but slow enough so that it did not pass them. Keith had managed to figure out the propulsion device, and the next thing Lance new they were moving away from the ship.

"Uh, Keith?"

Keith squeezed Lance's hand. "Don't worry, it'll be okay."

They were floating above the super nova, taking in the view below them. It glowed with different colors, and sparkled with dust. It was like a blanket covering the vast nothingness below them, or like a safety net ready to catch them.

They floated above the space dust, the nothingness, the colors, and let their bodies stay motionless. It was oddly peaceful, being in a place where no sound, no person, and no ship could touch them. It was just the two of them, and no one else. 

"Dance with me."

Keith spun his head to Lance, not comprehending what he had just said. "What?"

"Ever since I saw that movie, god I can't remember the name right now, I wanted to waltz among the stars."

Lance used his other arm to clutch to Keith's hips. "Use your jetpack to move us."

They danced as well as they could amongst the purple. Lance spun Keith around, like he was a gentleman from the 1700s and Keith was his partner. Their feet hung in the sky, dangling above the nothingness below. It was much more difficult to do than they expected, and it ended with them giggling uncontrollably. 

The ship was nearly past them now, still moving. "We better get back." Keith said, moving them back to the ship. They floated back to the ship, opening the door to the small room. Once in the room, they opened the other door. They stepped inside the black room once more, and both pulled off their helmets. They quickly changed out of their suits and hung them back up on the rack.

"How'd you do it?" Lance asked as they began walking back to their bedrooms.

"Do what?"

"There's no way that's normal speed for the ship."

Keith shrugged. "I had a little help from Pidge. Told her I wanted to test something out. She seemed pretty on board with it. She made sure it would slow down for about three hours before picking back up again."

"Thank, Keith."

"For what?"

"Ever since we got here, I had missed home. The beaches, the skies, the islands, the ocean. Now, I realized, maybe home isn't where you are, but rather the people you're with."

"Home," Keith echoed, savoring the word. "I'm home."

"You sure are."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> help im so sleep deprived  
> i have learned trying to function on three hours of sleep maybe isnt that healthy  
> ALSO I have so many different iterations of the art at the end of this, and you can check them out by clicking here: https://noquiznaksweregiventhatday.tumblr.com/post/160670898537/not-sure-about-which-one-i-like-better


	7. The Sith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uhh more klance I guess  
> PLUS AN EXTRA SIDE OF ANGST

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how many chapters this fic is going to be yet...I'm hoping for more though because I feel like I'm just getting started B-)  
> ALSO  
> ANGST ANGST ANGST  
> ALSO ALSO  
> I've noticed my writing is progressively getting worse and worse as this goes on. Whoops.  
> ALSO x3  
> I missed last Sunday because I had finals the next week and ended up studying for them. Hopefully I won't miss anymore, especially since it is summer <3  
> I should really use different word than also

Lance awoke the the sound of alarms. Keith was tangled in his arms, startling awake with him. Keith jumped out of bed and skidded on the floor, picking up his jacket as he went. Lance sprinted after him, scooping up his blaster as he dashed out the door. Red lights were flashing in the hall, and Pidge could be heard screaming from behind them, "WHY THE HELL WAS KEITH IN YOUR ROOM, LANCE?" The team sprinted through the halls, before Pidge, Hunk, and Shiro broke off to find Coran and Allura. Keith and Lance came to a screeching halt as they saw their attackers in front of them. They were clothed in white armor, their expressionless helmets staring at them. The troopers saw the two teens and raised their guns.

"Duck, Lance!"

A blaster shot sailed over his head, burning the wall behind him. Lance quickly staggered up, his blaster in hand. Keith came behind him, shooting his blaster over Lance's head at the incoming troopers. They fell to the ground with each blast, tripping the ones behind them. Troopers were horribly clumsy, giving Lance and Keith the chance to quickly swoop over them into the next room.

In the center stood a man, his blaster hanging to his side. An eyepatch was slung over one eye, the strap crossing his face. He grinned at the sight of Lance, readying his gun. Lance did the same, circling him, ready to shoot at any moment. Keith was huddled behind a pillar, not approaching the intruder. Pidge and Hunk burst into the room, screaming bloody murder and brandishing their weapons. Shiro was quick to follow in, his metal arm glowing bright purple. Allura and Coran waved their lightsabers threateningly at the man.

"You are out numbered!" Coran shouted.

The man shrugged, still smiling, "your order is weak. It is comprised of teenagers, all unable to even use the Force."

Lance groaned, "Ugh. Could you guys be anymore cliché?"

"Lance, now is not the time!" Allura yelled to him.

He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, "That's what you always say! Can't I ever express my annoyance?"

The man began shooting at Allura and Coran, but they effortlessly blocked each laser with their sabers. "Lance, we can not discuss your irritation in the middle of an attack!"

"Fine, fine."

Shiro charged with full force, sending a punch into the man's skull. He staggered back, his grip on his gun loosening. In a split second, his firearm was back up, pointed at them. Sweat beaded on Shiro's forehead, and his face was bright red. The trespasser fired one quick shot in Shiro's direction, blazing a hole in Shiro's shirt. He yelped and fell to the ground, clutching his side.

"Shiro!" Allura cried. In her moment of panic, she was shot down as well, joining Shiro on the ground. Lance's grip faltered on his gun. In just two fell swoops, two of the strongest members of the team had been taken down.

A flash of red. Ringing in his ears. The cold ground enveloping him. Lance only saw bits of what was in front of him, mostly obscured by darkness. Pidge jumping on the man from behind and hitting him repeatedly. Hunk firing in every direction in an attempt to hit him. The man finally pried Pidge off of his back, throwing her carelessly to the floor. She staggered up, but she was in no shape to attack him like she was before. He hit Hunk multiple times, before Hunk began to wobble back. Coran was shielding the three people slipping in and out of consciousness, hitting any troopers that came near. Lance's breathing became heavier as the pain in his side worsened, sending fiery tendrils of anguish throughout his body.  

The man approached the group, his smirk only growing wider. Troopers emerged from behind him, shooting at Coran. Coran, unable to block the blast of ten blasters, joined the three on the ground. The troopers grabbed a hold of Pidge and Hunk, both too fatigued to fight back. 

"This one looks like that rebel kid," a trooper commented.

"Take her alive. Perhaps we can use her as  _persuasion_ for the rebel scum," the man ordered. "The other one isn't needed. Kill him."

"Yes, Commander Sendak."

Sendak was now only inches from the group. He aimed his blaster at the group. "Emperor Zarkon sends his regards."

Another red light, but this time it stayed steadily, not moving. Keith had emerged from behind the column, his eyes filled with rage. He charged the man, screaming and waving the red light. He thrust his hand out, and the intruder was lifted off the ground, grasping for his neck. His one eye widened as he rapidly lost air. Keith shrieked again, tossing the trespasser aside without even touching him. Keith moved to stand over him, his red saber illuminating his face.

"Keith?" he asked.

Keith didn't respond, but instead proceeded to hack at Sendak, disconnecting his head from his body. An expression of fear was immortalized on his face. Lance closed his eyes.

* * *

Lance was inside gelatin. He wasn't sure  _how_ he got there, as when he opened his eyes he was breathing through a mouth pieces and swimming the blue goop. He was wearing nothing but a large white diaper. He began to bang on the glass, attempting to scream for help through his breaths. Pidge was faced away from him, playing with the controls on the dash. She had a pair of headphones, and was loudly singing the words she was hearing.

"Because, son, you're just as bad as a tauntaun. I don't care what you have to say. It would best if you were gone, if you just went away," Pidge sung, not hearing Lance's screams. Pidge tapped a few buttons on the dashboard and continued to ignore his calls. She slid across the floor to the next set of buttons, poking a few there and turning a couple of dials. She sang louder, dancing as she went along. "And that should do it!"

Pidge slid of her headphones, allowing them to rest around her neck. In a few seconds, her song was being blasted over the speakers in the room, nearly shaking Lance's pod. She sung louder with the words. Lance shouted further, but she still did not hear him. She sat onto the gray ground, crossing her legs and tapping her fingers idly. The door opened.

In the doorway stood Keith, his hands on his hips. Pidge scrambled up and sprinted over to him, attempting to block his path. She was dwarfed by his larger, taller frame, but he did not push her out of the way to get inside. He simply looked over her head to try to get a glimpse inside.

"How is he?" Keith questioned.

"Same as an hour ago. Look, can you not check up on him so much?"

"Why?"

Pidge kicked her foot back and forth. "Allura told me not to let you in to see him or something, and I doubt you're getting a good view standing from there. As much as I hate listening to Allura, she is  _really_ scary right now."

Keith glanced at the tank before looking back to Pidge. "I understand. I'll stay out of your way."

Keith turned around and the door shut behind him. Lance's shouts were still obscured by the music, so Lance had given up halfway through Keith's visit. Pidge sighed and walked back to the center of the room. She scanned Lance's tank, and her eyes widened.

"Oh fuck. How long have you been awake? Never mind, let me just get you out." Pidge slammed her fist on a large red circle, allowing the top of the tank to open. She grabbed a nearby ladder and propped it against the side of the tank. She climbed to the top of it and grabbed Lance's wrists, dragging him up to the surface. He pulled out his mouth piece before being tossed to the ground by Pidge, slamming onto the hard ground and breathing heavily. Pidge offered him a hand up. "Welcome back, sharpshooter."

* * *

"Sith? We cannot have one of them on this ship!"

Lance stopped his walking to stand on the other side of the doorway, listening to the conversation.

"Princess, he saved our lives! It is clear his ways have changed. We must give him another chance."

"I cannot! His people killed ours, Coran! We cannot have a monster like him aboard training with us! He has probably killed thousands of people!"

"Princess, he was simply misguided. It is very possible he was abducted at a young age and brainwashed. You cannot let your anger for the Sith fuel your actions. We will keep him aboard. He is a valuable asset. He knows the ways of the Force, however erroneous they may be. We can reteach him the true way of the Jedi with time."

"You are not the leader here. I was destined to rule a planet. You were not. I am sending him out."

"Allura Altea! You will not send him out! You didn't even finish your training as a Padawan, much less become a Knight or even a Master. I have the higher rank here. Remember your place."

"Who cares about our ranks in the Jedi Order now? They're gone!"

"We are rebuilding it, just like your father asked!"

"What does it matter what my father asked? He's dead now! They all are!"

Lance jumped back as the door opened to see Allura attempting to get out, "Were you listening in on our conversation?"

"Well, I, uh."

She shoved him out of the way, "tell your friend he's leaving. I can't believe I had that scum so close to me."

* * *

It had been a week since the attack and Keith's identity reveal. Allura still treated coolly, not making eye contact or speaking to him. Lance was never able to find Keith in the past week. They sat at the table, silently eating. The spot next to Lance was empty, no familiar face taking the chair. Allura shoved food in her mouth angrily, unaware of the mess she was causing. Lance played with his food, his appetite nonexistent. The door opened.

Keith stepped into the room, his eyes darting around at the six sitting down. Allura pretended he didn't exist, stabbing her food further. Keith cleared his throat and sat down next to Lance, averting his eyes from him. He twiddled his thumbs nervously. No one made a sound. The air was so tense one could cut it with a knife. Allura shoved her chair back and dashed for the door. Keith sprinted after her. Lance narrowed his eyes before rushing after them.

"Princess!" Keith yelled.

"What?" she asked venomously. "Are you going to kill me like your kind did?"

"No! I have given up that path!"

"Your kind is all the same. You cannot change."

"I saved your life!"

"I'd rather be dead than be saved by someone who has killed before."

"You're not any better than me! I've heard what you've done. How you brutally murdered your childhood friend while he begged for mercy, how you let your peers die in the temple, how-"

Lance jumped out, "Both of you, stop!"

"How long have you been listening?" Keith questioned.

"Long enough. I'm tired of this! How, you, Allura, can only glare at Keith, and how you, Keith, seemingly disappeared for the week!"

"This is not your battle," Allura replied. "Stay out of this."

"I'm not going to leave! Keith is  _not_ anything like how you're describing him."

"Keith, tell him the truth."

Keith's eyes turned somewhat soft, wetting with tears. "Lance, please, just go."

"Fine." 

Lance spun on his heels and exited the room. His footsteps echoed through the dark, empty halls. The normal blue lights were out, allowing darkness to envelope around Lance. The darkness was a blessing, however, as it hid Lance's tears from the rest of the world. Lance tried his best to wipe the snot and tears from his face with his sleeve, dirtying it in the process, but they continued to flow out. He let his feet carry him through the halls, not caring as to where he went. He found himself before a large set of double white doors. He pushed them open.

He stepped into the room. It was large and circular, with windows extending from the ceiling to the ground. Lance immediately recognized the room as the one he and Keith visited just two weeks prior. Now, rather than the purple nebula they passed before, flames danced through the darkness. The orange and the red overlapped each other, clashed with each other, and created swirls of light. Lance sighed and sat in front of the window, it reflecting his red eyes. He sat there, waiting for anything to change.

He was startled by the sound of the door opening. He did not turn his head. "Go away, Keith. I don't want to talk right now."

He heard footsteps come closer to him and glanced to the reflection in the window. Behind him was a short girl with rounded glasses. She silently stepped forward and sat next to him. "Nice view, huh?"

Lance shrugged. "I guess."

Pidge shoved her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She continued to stare out the window. "Lance, we need to talk."

"About what?"

"About the fact that I just walked into you crying."

"It's nothing."

"It's not nothing! Look, it's obvious you're upset. My brother always told me it's better to talk about your feelings than to just bottle them up."

"Really, it's fine. I don't want to bother you."

"I'm literally sitting here next to you asking for you to open up. I doubt you'd be bothering me."

"I just-"

Pidge interrupted him. "Lance, I'm here to help you. Stop trying to persuade me otherwise."

"I don't know. I guess it's because of Keith, but I'm not sure. I feel like everything going on was the cherry on top."

"Ah, relationship issues. I wish I could say I understand, but I'm not stepping ten feet near those things."

"Wait, what?"

"Oh come on, it's obvious you two have been getting it on for the past month or so. But yeah, nothing can make you go from a one to a ten instantly. Yeah, finding out that Keith was actually once for the bad guys sucks, but you and I both know he's on our side now. Plus, even whatever the hell happened between you, Keith, and Allura definitely could not make you cry by itself. What's going on?"

Lance sighed. "I guess I'm just homesick. I miss my family. I don't know where they are, or even if they're alive. I mean, I was a wanted criminal before I found you guys. They could be dead for all I know, and I have to live with the fact that I could have been the one that killed them. Now, I'm with someone who was once on that side. I'm just wondering what he could have done to my family if he  _wasn't_ with us. Would he be torturing them? Are they being tortured now? What if by me running away to protect my family, I just sealed their fate?" Tears streamed down Lance's cheek.

Pidge placed a hand on Lance's shoulder. "We'll find them, okay? If the Empire does have them, we'll save them, and kick the Galra's ass while we're at it."

Lance sniffled. "Yeah?"

"Hell yeah."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder to myself to put notes here that I'll probably ignore  
> EDIT: Looks like I did ignore my note to myself


End file.
